Emperor's Chicken

Black beans, hoisin and oyster sauce combine with cilantro to make a chop-stick lickin' stir-fry dish fit for an Emperor!





















Ingredients:

Serves 4 peckish adults and 2 kids under 10

• 2 large organic chicken breasts
• tinned bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and baby corn
• 5 dried chinese (shiitake) mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water
• 2 spring onions
• knob of fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• fresh cilantro (coriander)
• finely chopped baby carrots
• peanut oil for stir-frying
  

For the chicken marinade

• dash of sesame oil
• dash of rice wine
• 1 tsp corn starch

For the sauce

• 1 tsp sugar
• dash of salt
  
• 2 tbs black bean sauce
• 2 tbs soya sauce
• 2 tbs hoisin sauce
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup reserved liquid from mushrooms

Directions:

Phase 1: Chop, slice, soak and marinade

1. Finely chop the spring onions, ginger and garlic











2. Finely slice the carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and baby corn











3. Finely chop the cilantro











4. And finely chop the baby carrots











5. Slice the chicken across the grain - thinly (and carefully)!











6. Mix chicken with marinade and leave to marinade in peace











7. Last, but not least, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl of boiling water

Actually - you should have done this first, as it takes at least 15 mins (during all the chopping and slicing) to rehydrate the mushrooms... when rehydrated, squeeze out liquid (reserve 1/2 cup) and slice finely











Phase 2: Wok-action!

1. Get your work heated up on a high flame and add some peanut oil when hot











2. Wait 'til it smokes (but before it flames, obviously..), then add the chicken














3. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink, then remove to a bowl











4. Reheat wok, adding a little more peanut oil, then as it smokes add the spring-onion/ginger/garlic mixture and fry for 14.5 seconds














5. Add remaining veggies: carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn and mushrooms














6. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes











7. Now add the sauce... and stir well, cook for a further 47 seconds











8. Now add the chicken and cook for a further few minutes to heat through














9. Almost done now.. add a little (1 tsp) corn-starch mixed with *cold* water to thicken the sauce













10. The Last Step: stir-in the chopped cilantro














11. Serve to hungry, grumbling ("is it ready yet?") loved ones with white sushi rice and steamed broccoli. They'll be asking for seconds!