Yield: 2 Servings

Scott Nowell

Maybe not authentic, but it varies so much it’s impossible to know what is.

Chicken

• 2oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

Vegetables:

• ½onion, chopped 1-inch pieces
• ½lb button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼cup carrot, sliced ⅛-inch-thick on diagonal or matchsticks
• 1zucchini, quartered and sliced ½ inch thick
• ½cup celery sliced diagonally lengthwise to match sticks
• ½cup bamboo shoots sliced to match sticks (optional)
• ½cup water chestnuts, sliced (optional)
• 2cloves garlic, minced
• equal amount of ginger minced
• 4-8dried Szechuan peppers
• 1TBS vegetable oil

Sauce

• 1cup chicken stock
• 1TBS corn starch
• 2tsp soy sauce
• ¼cup Hoisin sauce

Velvet the Chicken:

Slice breasts in half or thirds, length wise to make thin cutlets. Slice cutlets on diagonal into ⅛ to ¼ inch thick slices. In a bowl add sliced chicken, salt, egg white, white pepper, sesame seed oil, 1½ TBS of corn starch and 1 TBS of oil. Mix everything together well. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Premix sauce:

In a small bowl, mix 1 TBS corn starch into 1 cup chicken stock with 2 tsp soy sauce and ¼ cup hoisin sauce. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Stir fry:

Heat 2 tsp oil in wok until starting to smoke. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 15 seconds and add the chicken. Stir fry until cooked through. Remove to bowl.

Heat 2 tsp oil in wok and add Szechuan peppers. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add vegetables and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Remove to bowl with chicken.

Sauce & finish:

Add premix sauce into wok, stir and bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Return chicken and vegetables to wok and mix with sauce until heated through and sauce boils.

Adjust seasoning with additional soy, hoisin as needed.

Remove from heat, serve.