Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms Rice Topping

It's been a long time since I have blogged. A lot has happened (and more reasons to blog right?). I know. No excuses. Don't worry I'll be updating this more often with my kitchen adventures + maybe tidbits of the exciting past year. Excited much.

Let's get cooking!

Today I share with you a Weston original. Nothing to be patented or whatever, but something to want to come home to.

Ever since we started on our little side project, we have never run out of boneless chicken. And dark meat all the time too! The demand has always been for white meat. It's healthier. blah. So I ask this- why is it that Chicken ads always feature dark meat (drumsticks) and so does cooking shows. Their final plating always feature the leg-thigh quarter. It simply is J-U-I-C-I-E-R. More delish.

For this recipe, use chicken breast only if you must really. But I suggest you go with the tender thigh meat fillet, skin-on or off doesn't really matter. Read on for the full recipe =)




Chicken with Chinese Mushrooms Rice Topping
What you need:
2 Cups Chicken Fillet (preferably dark meat), chopped roughly to form huge chunks
salt and pepper
2 T cornstarch
1 1/2 T Soy Sauce
1 T Oyster Sauce
1 T Sesame Oil
2 T minced garlic
1/2 Cup diced tomatoes
1 Cup sliced Shitake Mushroom (fresh or dried will do; if using dried make sure you rehydrate mushrooms in  hot water, use mushrooms after the 2nd wash)
1 C cooked black fungus/ wood ears (optional- but it makes the dish a lot more interesting)
3 T water
2 tsp Chili flakes (optional)

What to do:
1. Marinate your chicken in salt and pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil for at least 3 hours.
2. Dredge with cornstarch.
3. In a very hot wok, add few tablespoons of cooking oil. Stir fry garlic, until just before browning.
4. Add the chicken until it changes color. Add mushrooms, wood ears and tomatoes.
5. Add water. Simmer until it dries.
6. Serve hot over a bed of warm jasmine rice.

p.s. I did this over a year ago. I'm not very very sure on the exact measurements for the soy sauce and oyster sauce =| Please adjust as needed. Most likely you will need just a bit more (and not less).
also, if you pan gets really hot, you might need to add slightly bit more water than indicated.

enjoy and happy eating =)
abbey