Red Water Caltrop Chicken

Name: Red Water Caltrop Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500 g Tender chicken meat (boneless); 25 g Fresh shiitake mushrooms (sliced); 100 g Raw water caltrop meat (rubbed with baking soda to remove the thin skin); 750 g (approximately 75 g consumed) Rendered pork fat (for frying); 10 g Scallion segments; 10 g Shaoxing wine; 20 g Soy sauce; 10 g Sugar; 1.5 g Fine salt; 1.5 g Monosodium glutamate; 2 g Vinegar; 15 g Sesame oil (drizzled for aroma); a pinch Baking soda (for rubbing water caltrop meat to remove skin); 35 g Wet cornstarch (25 g for coating, 10 g for the sauce)

A traditional famous dish from Zhejiang province, featuring a glossy bright red appearance, tender chicken, crisp water chestnut flesh, and a perfectly balanced savory-sweet flavor.

30 min

Easy

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Ingredients

Tender chicken meat (boneless) 500 g

Fresh shiitake mushrooms (sliced) 25 g

Raw water caltrop meat (rubbed with baking soda to remove the thin skin) 100 g

Rendered pork fat (for frying) 750 g (approximately 75 g consumed)

Scallion segments 10 g

Shaoxing wine 10 g

Soy sauce 20 g

Sugar 10 g

Fine salt 1.5 g

Monosodium glutamate 1.5 g

Vinegar 2 g

Sesame oil (drizzled for aroma) 15 g

Baking soda (for rubbing water caltrop meat to remove skin) a pinch

Wet cornstarch (25 g for coating, 10 g for the sauce) 35 g

Instructions

Prepare the chicken

Place the chicken skin-side down on a cutting board and score it crosswise with a knife a few times (cutting to about 2/3 of the chicken's depth). Cut into 1.7 cm cubes, add the fine salt, and mix evenly with 25 g of wet cornstarch diluted to coat the chicken.

Prepare the water caltrops

Place the water caltrop meat in a pot of cold water, add a pinch of baking soda, and repeatedly rub to remove the thin skin. Rinse clean and set aside.

Prepare the sauce

In a bowl, combine the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and monosodium glutamate, then mix with 10 g of wet cornstarch to make a sauce and set aside. Slice the shiitake mushrooms.

Fry the chicken and water caltrops

Heat a wok over medium heat, oil the wok, then add the pork fat and bring it to about 50% hot (about 110 °C). Add the chicken pieces and scatter them with chopsticks. After about 10 seconds, scoop them out with a slotted spoon. When the oil temperature rises to about 70% hot (about 175 °C), add the chicken pieces and water caltrop meat together and briefly fry, then drain off the oil through a slotted spoon.

Stir-fry and finish

Leave 15 g of oil in the original wok, add the scallion segments and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken, water caltrop meat, and shiitake mushrooms. Dilute the sauce with 25 g of water, stir well, and pour into the wok. Add 10 g of pork fat, quickly toss the wok, and stir-fry evenly so the chicken and water caltrop meat are coated with the sauce. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.