This is a very popular dish in chinese restaurants, very tasty and mild spicy. It's prepared in two steps: first is to fry the chicken, then stir-frying the chicken with the vegetables. When stir-frying, is important to cook on high heat and stirring constantly to ensure even cooking, otherwise ingredients will burn one side and they will be uncooked the other side.
Yelds: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken thighs ( skin and bone removed, cut into bite size pieces)
- 3 stalks celery (blue apio)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 red dried chili (optional)
- 3-4 tbsp canola oil
- oil for deep frying
Directions:
- Clean the chicken and place it in a bowl. Add black pepper (optional), cornstarch, 1 tbsp soy sauce mix well to coat all the chicken pieces and set aside.
- Clean and cut onion and celery into bite size cubes and set aside in a bowl.
- Heat oil for frying in deep pan on medium high heat.
- Check oil by dropping a small piece of onion. When oil is ready, drop the chicken pieces one by one, but don't over crowed them. Fry in batches, if needed.
- Fry till well done. Soy sauce will make the chicken look dark, so check it with a fork: if juices run clear, chicken is ready. Remove from oil with spatula and drain excess oil on paper towel.
- Have ready within your reach the following: black pepper, oil, red chili, stock, chicken, vegetables, a wok or a large skillet and spatula.
- Heat oil in wok on high heat. Add chili if you use and stir in hot oil until they turn dark. Add chicken and stir while you pour chicken stock, and continue stirring for another 30 seconds.
- Add vegetables and soy sauce and continue stir-frying until liquid has evaporated partially and vegetables are cooked but still crispy.
- Add black pepper and stir well till well coated. Switch of the heat.
- Serve hot with plain rice, noodles or stir-fried rice.
