Mushroom Chicken

The mushrooms you use can dramatically change the flavor of this dish because it is the mushroom juice that makes the sauce. You can use whatever type of mushrooms you like in this recipe, or even a mix of different mushrooms depending on what you like. My favorite is just plain white mushrooms, I think it makes the garlic and ginger notes of the sauce stand out, which I personally find very enjoyable.

Ingredients

• 16oz/450g skinless/boneless chicken breasts

Marinade:

• 1 tsp white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP cornstarch (corn flour in the EU)
• 1 TBSP water

Sauce:

• 3 TBSP oyster sauce
• 3 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil or toasted sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp white granulated sugar

The Rest:

• 2 to 3 TBSP oil for frying (I use olive or peanut but any will do)
• 1 generous TBSP finely diced fresh garlic
• 1 generous TBSP finely diced fresh ginger
• 1 large yellow onion, diced large
• 16oz/450g mushrooms cut into quarters
• 1 generous TBSP Chinese cooking wine (you can substitute with white vermouth or water)

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into nice large bite size chunks, place it in a bowl just big enough to hold all of it and be able to mix it gently with a spoon.
2. Make the marinade in a separate bowl by whisking together all of the marinade ingredients. Fold gently into the chicken and make sure it is well mixed. Leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes (NOTE: Do not marinade the chicken for more than 20 minutes or it may start to become “gooey”).
3. Next, make the sauce by whisking all the sauce ingredients together and then set it aside at room temperature until needed.
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat and add 2  tablespoons of oil. Put in the garlic and ginger, stir fry them (keep them constantly moving) for about 2 minutes. Add the diced onion and continue to cook for about 4 minutes until the onion becomes soft, it’s ok if they get a little color but keep them moving or they will burn. Add a little more oil if needed.
5. Add the chicken and its marinade to the pan, stir-fry until the chicken is evenly browned, you’ll find it doesn’t take long because of the cornstarch (flour) in the marinade.
6. Add the mushrooms and the wine to the frying pan and mix in thoroughly.
7. Stir-fry the mushrooms until they begin to release their juices, then stir in the sauce mixing well.
8. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes make sure that the chicken is cooked through, if not simmer a little longer before serving.

This is very good served over brown or white rice with the thinly sliced greens of some scallions sprinkled over.

Makes 4 Generous Servings