Szechwan Chicken and Vegetables
As a child in eastern North Carolina the only Chinese food readily available was those cans of Chung King Chow Mein that my mother added chicken and soy sauce to with those delicious crunchy noodles. In my opinion, the noodles were the only thing tasty about it. Sometimes when we travelled to Raleigh to visit my maternal grandmother we be treated to going to a real Chinese restaurant. The Canton Chinese restaurant is one of my favorite childhood memories with its dimly lit, partitioned off booths and the antique Chinese chandeliers hanging with beautiful tassels hanging down. It was so exotic to me!
In my teens, my paternal grandmother went thru a phase of cooking lessons at a local kitchen shop. One of her favorite lessons was Chinese cooking and we questioned the money she doled out for an authentic wok and utensils but the results of her work were delicious. She introduced me to her guide, Madame Wong’s Long-Life Chinese Cookbook of which I still have copyright 1977. My grandmother lived just short of her 96th birthday so I guess it worked.
This recipe I am sharing with you is a variation on Madame Wong’s Szechwan style modified to include more veggies, less frying and no garlic. I have been working to perfect this sauce for years with her recipes as guidance.
This delicious brown sauce can be used for chicken, beef, pork or shrimp. The amount of heat can be adjusted with the measure of chili sauce (sambal olek). A wok is not required, just easier, any skillet will do. Serve over rice and save the leftovers. If you prefer, pick up some of those Chinese carryout cartons and chopsticks from your local Asian food market and eat out of them sitting around the coffee table!
Szechwan Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/2 cup Large diced red peppers
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup slice water chestnuts
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp sambal olek
- 1 tbsp dry sherry
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add egg white and toss in chicken. Move chicken into another bowl with the tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat.
- Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl or small pitcher and mix well.
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot.
- Add chicken to oil and fry quickly until slightly brown and almost cooked throughout. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain.
- Remove some of the oil until only about 1/2 cup remains in the pan. Add broccoli and stir constantly reducing heat to medium. Cook about 5 minutes.
- Add peppers, mushrooms and water chestnuts. Cook stirring constantly for another 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and push all ingredients to one side of the pan. Pour in sauce and increase heat to high until sauce starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low and stir everything together. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately over rice.
