Chinese-Style Bourbon Chicken

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This dish is about as Chinese as I am, but, fairly or not, mall food court mavens, have been sold on the idea that Bourbon Chicken comes from the heart of China. While the technique used to prepare the dish is Chinese, bourbon is not an ingredient you'll find in Chinese homes, where two types of alcohol are used. One, used for drinking, is a white distilled liquor, called Baijiu. The other, used for mostly for cooking, is an amber fermented rice wine called, Shao Xing Hua Diao. It really is a stretch to call this Bourbon chicken, because, unlike its Cajun counterpart, it contains no bourbon. I, too, have heard the tale of its creation by a Chinese cook who worked in a restaurant on Bourbon Street, but for as much as I'd like to add credence to the tale, there is not a shred of evidence to support that claim. This is a dish that has no history prior to its mysterious appearance in the food courts of America. As it happens, the dish is a wonderful meld of sweet and spicy elements that come together quickly. It is a perfect meal to serve on a hot summer night when you want to limit the time and heat you generate in the kitchen. On the off chance that you do not already this recipe in your roster, I wanted to include it here. It's fast easy and inexpensive and PDG for something that is so simple to make. Here's how it is made.

Chinese-Style Bourbon Chicken...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Food.com

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds chicken breast, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup apple juice (I used 1/4 cup undiluted apple juice concentrate)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup (I used kecap manis)
Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
2) Add chicken and cook till lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3) Combine garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, apple juice, cider vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ketchup in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add sauce to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce just begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and toss to coat with sauce. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is done. If a thicker sauce is desired, add optional cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened.Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings.

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Beef with Oyster Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This dish is a favorite of the Silver Fox. He is a committed carnivore and the relative lack of vegetables in this stir-fry make it more to his liking than some of the other Asian-inspired dishes I make. He also likes the sweet and salty flavor of good oyster sauce. Traditionally, the sauce was made by simmering oysters in water until the juices caramelize into a thick brown sauce with a rich flavor that the Japanese call umami. These days shortcuts are taken to produce that flavor at a lower cost. Most oyster sauce today is made with a base of oyster extract to which salt, sugar and cornstarch are added. Soy sauce and MSG can also often added to deepen flavor and color. One of the techniques that improves the flavor of this dish is velveting. Velveting is a technique that is used in Chinese cuisine for preserving the moisture of meat while cooking. It literally softens the texture of animal protein by pre-coating it in a mixture that can contain oil, eggwhite, cornstarch and sherry or Chinese rice wine. Meat treated in this fashion can then be sauteed, stir-fried, deep-fried, simmered or boiled and still retain its moisture. This is an easy dish to prepare and can be table ready in 30 minutes. Better still, it is delicious. I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here's how beef in oyster sauce is made.

Beef with Oyster Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Nancie McDermott

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 pound thinly sliced beef
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1) Combine soy sauce, sherry and cornstarch in a medium bowl, stirring to mix well. Add beef and toss to coat it evenly. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2) Combine oyster sauce, chicken stock, sugar and salt in another small bowl, stirring to mix well.
3) Heat a wok or large high-sided skillet. Add oil and heat until it shimmers. Add ginger and toss or stir until fragrant. Add beef to pan, and cook without stirring for about a minute and then toss or stir.
4) Add carrots and cook, stirring, until they are softened, about 30 seconds. Add oyster sauce mixture and toss to coat ingredients. Cook until beef is cooked and sauce thickens. Add green onions and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








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