We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing. The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing. The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor. I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing.
The
Quoted message said:
result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what
else I
Quoted message said:
should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a
Quoted message said:
different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
Yes, a bit of soy sauce. Also more onion, like 2 medium cut into wedges (eigths). And celery, 4-5 ribs cut on bias. And bok choy, and/or nappa cabbage. Stock instead of water. If canned 'shrooms use the liquid too. Pinch of MSG, but generally no sesame oil in chop suey. Garnish with green onion... perhaps a few peanuts
In NYC restaurants chop suey is typically house chow mein without the bed of crispy noodles.
We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing. The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor. I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
Ok, thanks George! I don't often cook Asian aside of refried rice. So I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil? And how much of the soy, cooking wine and oyster sauce would I add. Very much appreciated!
You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor. I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
Right. A typical preparation would go something like this. Slice the chicken and mix with 1 or 2 TB rice wine or sherry, salt, 1 TB soy sauce (optional), white pepper (optional), and set aside. Slice the onion and mushrooms. Rinse the bean sprouts and bamboo shoots. Heat a wok or heavy pan over high heat, add 2 TB peanut or veg. oil. Stirfry onions and mushrooms for 2 minutes. Add chicken and stirfry until done, probably 2 or 3 minutes depending on thickness. Add the sprouts and shoots and any leftover marinade. Stir well. Add soy sauce to taste, and about a half teaspoon of sesame oil. If a sauce is desired, add some water and a cornstarch slurry, stirring till thickened and glistening. Serve immediately.
You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor. I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
Ok, thanks George! I don't often cook Asian aside of refried rice. So I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil? And how much of the soy, cooking wine and oyster sauce would I add. Very much appreciated!
Think of the sesame oil as an aromatic seasoning. I would do the frying using a neutral oil sych as peanut,soybean, canola etc. Then add a small amount of sesame oil towards the end. Sesame oil has a low smoking point and a strong flavor so it is never used as a "cooking" oil.
You do all of this to taste. For a single serving maybe 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a tablespon of oyster sauce and a splash of cooking wine and sesame oil. Also you want to get a good oyster sauce. The contents list will have "oyster extractives" listed as the first item.
In NYC restaurants chop suey is typically house chow mein without the bed of crispy noodles.
In this area (Northern California), chow mein doesn't come with crispy noodles. The noodles are soft, but stir-fried. We don't have lo mein here, but is lo mein a chowmein with soft noodles in your area?
I have never, ever seen chop suey on the menu in this area.
-- Dan Abel Sonoma State University AIS [email hidden]
Ok, thanks George! I don't often cook Asian aside of refried rice. So
I like fried rice as well as the next white guy, but I understand that to the Chinese it is strictly a food to use up leftover rice, and isn't served to guests or ordered in a restaurant.
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I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil?
Dark sesame oil is used for flavoring, not cooking in. It is usually added at the very end to preserve the intense flavor.
-- Dan Abel Sonoma State University AIS [email hidden]
We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing. The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
No green peppers? I would have used a whole onion, No soy sauce or chicken broth?
In NYC restaurants chop suey is typically house chow mein without the bed of crispy noodles.
In this area (Northern California), chow mein doesn't come with crispy noodles. The noodles are soft, but stir-fried. We don't have lo mein here, but is lo mein a chowmein with soft noodles in your area?
I have never, ever seen chop suey on the menu in this area.
You have to wonder about the authenticity of Chinese food when every region of North America seems to have its own version of Chinese cooking. Around here the only difference between chop suey and chow mein is that the latter is topped with some crisp chow mein noodles, but if you order Cantonese chow mein it is made with the soft noodles, and if you order War Bar you get basically the same dish but with more spice, and some of the noodles are fried crisp. The rudest surprise I had was when I had Chinese food in Winnipeg about 30 years ago. Where I expected bok choy they used cabbage.
I like fried rice as well as the next white guy, but I understand that to the Chinese it is strictly a food to use up leftover rice, and isn't served to guests or ordered in a restaurant.
Call me cheap, but you won't catch me paying for fried rice in a restaurant. It's a great dish for left overs.
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I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil?
Dark sesame oil is used for flavoring, not cooking in. It is usually added at the very end to preserve the intense flavor.
I don't often use sesame oil but there is one dish where it is irreplaceable, chilli shrimp. Marinate a pound of shrimp in 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. sesame oil. Finely mince some ginger root and garlic. Put a bit of oil into a hot wake, toss in the garlic and ginger and stir around the pan once, add the shrimp and when they are half done toss in some chopped green onion.
You have to wonder about the authenticity of Chinese food when every region of North America seems to have its own version of Chinese cooking. Around here the only difference between chop suey and chow mein is that the latter is topped with some crisp chow mein noodles, but if you order Cantonese chow mein it is made with the soft noodles, and if you order War Bar you get basically the same dish but with more spice, and some of the noodles are fried crisp. The rudest surprise I had was when I had Chinese food in Winnipeg about 30 years ago. Where I expected bok choy they used cabbage.
This is hardly a surprise if you're just ordering chop suey and chow mein. Both of those are catchall dishes--simple stirfries of whatever's handy. There's no specific list of ingredients. You'll get bok choy if they have it, cabbage (usually Napa) if they don't, carrot where the cook likes the color. Differences in noodles are partly regional, partly again what's on hand. The crispy chowmein noodles are pretty much an American thing.
But if you start ordering specific dishes with traditional names at decent restaurants you will find a lot more uniformity wherever in North America you are. Mapo dofu or ants climbing a tree or kung pao chicken or hot and sour soup, to name a few that have been recently mentioned on rfc, are pretty well standardized. Vancouver has such a large Chinese population now that you can get the same dishes as are served in Hong Kong.
You have to wonder about the authenticity of Chinese food when every region of North America seems to have its own version of Chinese cooking.
Very few of which offer traditional Chinese cooking... Confucius roll in grave.
Ever notice how rare it is to see an Oriental face dining off the menu in a typical Chinese American restaurant (none). Far, far more likely to find Chinese folks eating at a kosher deli.
We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing. The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps used a different oil.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor. I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
Ok, thanks George! I don't often cook Asian aside of refried rice. So I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil? And how much of the soy, cooking wine and oyster sauce would I add. Very much appreciated!
Oh my goodness! No you don't cook in sesame oil! Toasted sesame oil is a powerful condiment that is added a few drops at a time right before serving. I use just a little oyster sauce and sesame oil when I make fried rice. I use oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and lots of peppers when I stirfry vegetables with meat or noodles, but that's a much different style than you are describing. Oyster sauce goes well with beef, and it tastes surprisingly unlike oysters.
I would probably start by adding garlic (or scallions if you don't like garlic), ginger, and rice wine or cooking sherry. Adjust the salt by adding soy sauce (unless you prefer fish sauce, which smells like fish and tastes like soy sauce but saltier.)
I like fried rice as well as the next white guy, but I understand that to the Chinese it is strictly a food to use up leftover rice, and isn't served to guests or ordered in a restaurant.
Call me cheap, but you won't catch me paying for fried rice in a
restaurant.
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It's a great dish for left overs. [snip]
You guys are generally right, but there is one fairly well-known exception. A dish called "Yangchow fried rice" has become pretty well standardized as something more than home-cooked leftovers. It features shrimp or prawns and straw mushrooms, as well as lotus seeds if they have them. But as you say, the fried rice in our house once or twice a week features leftovers.
You have to wonder about the authenticity of Chinese food when every region of North America seems to have its own version of Chinese cooking.
Although you have to remember that this isn't always Chinese cooking, it's Chinese cooking for Americans. I'm told that the menu that only has Chinese writing on it is considerably different than the menu with English on it.
The other important factor is that China is a very large country, both in terms of population and geography. Different foods grow in different parts of the country, which influences what gets cooked. I believe that different regions of the US have Chinese who immigrated from different parts of China.
-- Dan Abel Sonoma State University AIS [email hidden]
You have to wonder about the authenticity of Chinese food when
every region
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
of North America seems to have its own version of Chinese cooking.
Although you have to remember that this isn't always Chinese cooking,
it's
Quoted message said:
Chinese cooking for Americans. I'm told that the menu that only has Chinese writing on it is considerably different than the menu with
English
Quoted message said:
on it.
The other important factor is that China is a very large country,
both in
Quoted message said:
terms of population and geography. Different foods grow in different parts of the country, which influences what gets cooked. I believe
that
Quoted message said:
different regions of the US have Chinese who immigrated from
different
Quoted message said:
parts of China.
That's why most Chinese American restaurants/menus indicate Cantonese, Szechuan, Peking, etc., however none serve anything that resembles what Chinese people actually eat in China. A few times In various major Chinatowns in the US and Canada, and even Central America I made an attempt to dine at Chinese restaurants habituated primarily by Chinese people... nothing served was even remotely similar to what's served in Chinese American eateries... in fact a few items I couldn't eat, they looked more like something that could eat me.
Although you have to remember that this isn't always Chinese cooking, it's Chinese cooking for Americans. I'm told that the menu that only has Chinese writing on it is considerably different than the menu with English on it.
The other important factor is that China is a very large country, both in terms of population and geography. Different foods grow in different parts of the country, which influences what gets cooked. I believe that different regions of the US have Chinese who immigrated from different parts of China.
I realize that they are regional styles of Chinese cooking. The standard around or years and years was Cantonese. Lately there have been different regional styles introduced. Perhaps that sweet and sour stuff appealed to our tastes, but I prefer the spicy varieties.
With various ethnic communities scattered around the world and modern transport, it is now possible to get a lot of the old ingredients relatively fresh. Toronto has a huge Chinese community, if I am not mistaken it is the largest outside of China. There are lots of places to buy Chinese fruits and vegetables.
[snip] A few times In various major Chinatowns in the US and Canada, and even Central America I made an attempt to dine at Chinese restaurants habituated primarily by
Chinese
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people... nothing served was even remotely similar to what's served
in
Quoted message said:
Chinese American eateries... in fact a few items I couldn't eat, they looked more like something that could eat me.
How about this? A glass (pyrex) bowl is brought to the table containing live shrimp in a clear rice wine. The bowl is placed over a tabletop burner. The burner is lighted, and the wine, too, is set aflame for a few seconds of showy fire. The bowl comes to a boil, killing and cooking the shrimp. A dipping sauce of soy, ginger, garlic, red chili flakes, and I think some peanut oil is provided. You grab a shrimp with your chopsticks, dip it in the sauce and eat it (delicately extracting the shell from your mouth with your chopsticks). That's a form of "drunken shrimp" you won't find in many American establishments, but we know a place in Kowloon where it's a popular menu item. Scrumptious.
My recipe: 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips 1/2 med onion cut into strips ~1 c sliced mushrooms ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo water corn starch
Yes, a bit of soy sauce. Also more onion, like 2 medium cut into wedges (eigths). And celery, 4-5 ribs cut on bias. And bok choy, and/or nappa cabbage. Stock instead of water. If canned 'shrooms use the liquid too. Pinch of MSG, but generally no sesame oil in chop suey. Garnish with green onion... perhaps a few peanuts
I agree with this (ESPECIALLY the part about using stock rather than water), but I'd add some oyster sauce as well.
