Recipes

Velvet Chicken

Name: Velvet Chicken
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 2 large egg whites; 2 tablespoons toban djan, a fermented chile-bean sauce (See Note); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 tablespoons rice wine or sake; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch dice; Peanut oil, for frying; 2 tablespoons black bean sauce; 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 cup minced scallions; 3 tablespoons peeled fresh ginger, finely grated; 2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic; 3 small dried red hot chiles; 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces

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The hallmark of this simple sweet and spicy stir-fry—velvety tender chicken—is achieved by boiling the marinated meat in oil. Slideshow: Delicious Stir-Fry Recipes

By

Andrew Zimmern

Published on December 4, 2014

Velvet Chicken — Photo: © Madeleine Hill

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 45 mins

Yield:

6

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons toban djan, a fermented chile-bean sauce (See Note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons rice wine or sake
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Peanut oil, for frying
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup minced scallions
3 tablespoons peeled fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
3 small dried red hot chiles
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the toban djan, salt, 2 tablespoons of the rice wine and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Add the chicken and toss well, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 375°. Using a large slotted spoon, very carefully add one-third of the chicken to the hot oil and fry, stirring, until nearly cooked through and browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-line baking sheet to drain. Repeat two more times with the remaining chicken. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the frying oil.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice wine with the black bean sauce, sugar, soy sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
In a wok or large skillet, heat the reserved 2 tablespoons of frying oil. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic and dried chiles and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and asparagus and stir-fry until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the black bean sauce mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Notes

Toban djan is available at Asian markets or at unitednoodles.com.