My husband and son love a dish called Hunan Beef if we ever indulge in Chinese take-out. Well, I wanted to make it at home and see if I could make it a bit healthier since we usually see a lot of oil in our take-out box. The first step to making it lower in fat was using chicken breast instead of beef. I don't cook beef so that was easy for me to swap out. : ) I also swapped out a lot of the oil for a nice spicy "Hunan sauce". I think with this Hunan Chicken on my recipe list the take out menus are getting tossed away.
The Hunan Sauce:
4 Tbs Soy Sauce
1Tbs of Chili Sambal (or to taste) You can substitute with some chili flakes to taste
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1/4 cup Shao Hsing Chinise cooking wine or sherry
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs Hoisin Sauce
1 Tbs Oyster Sauce
Also have ready: 1 Tbs of grated garlic and 2 Tbs of grated ginger for the stir fry. 1Tbs of cornstarch with 4 Tbs of water to make a slurry to thicken the sauce at the end of the stir frying process.
Marinate 2lbs of thinly sliced chicken breast for 30 minutes with:
1 Tbs of soy sauce
black pepper
1 Tbs cornstarch
You can add any veggies you want to your stir fry. I recommend broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts. This is what is used in my local Chinese take out. I also added some sliced mushrooms.
In a wok or large pan, heat 2-3 Tbs of canola oil on high heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Then add the grated garlic and ginger and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Now add the prepared Hunan Sauce. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes (your chicken should be almost cooked by now). After the sauce has had enough time to cook , add the cornstarch/water slurry and stir well.
Now add your veggies and saute. If you want the veggies tender crisp just stir fry for another 2 minutes, taste for seasoning and turn off the stove. Then put a lid on the pan and allow the broccoli and carrots to "steam" in the pan for a few minutes before serving. If you want your veggies more cooked through then cook on the stove longer until the veggies are to your desired texture.
Serves with Rice and Enjoy. Serves 6-8 people.
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