Stir-Fried Young Chicken with Fresh Lotus Seeds

Name: Stir-Fried Young Chicken with Fresh Lotus Seeds
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 250 g tender chicken (skin-down, flatten with the back of a knife, cross-hatch score, cut into 1.3 cm cubes); 100 g fresh lotus seeds (peeled and cored; dried lotus seeds should be steamed until tender); 25 g rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (cut into small pieces); 35 g wet cornstarch (25 g for marinating, 10 g for the sauce); 10 g scallion segments; 10 g Shaoxing wine (for the sauce); 1.5 g fine salt (for marinating); 1.5 g MSG (for the sauce); 2 g vinegar (for the sauce); 15 g sesame oil (drizzled over the finished dish); 20 g soy sauce (for the sauce); 10 g sugar (for the sauce); 750 g (about 75 g consumed) lard (medium-hot for sliding the chicken, higher-heat for frying)

Soft and glutinous lotus seeds give this Zhejiang dish a fragrant, delicate flavor, traditionally valued for replenishing qi, nourishing blood, calming the mind, and strengthening the kidneys.

30 min

Easy

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Stir-Fried Young Chicken with Fresh Lotus Seeds

Ingredients

tender chicken (skin-down, flatten with the back of a knife, cross-hatch score, cut into 1.3 cm cubes) 250 g

fresh lotus seeds (peeled and cored; dried lotus seeds should be steamed until tender) 100 g

rehydrated shiitake mushrooms (cut into small pieces) 25 g

wet cornstarch (25 g for marinating, 10 g for the sauce) 35 g

scallion segments 10 g

Shaoxing wine (for the sauce) 10 g

fine salt (for marinating) 1.5 g

MSG (for the sauce) 1.5 g

vinegar (for the sauce) 2 g

sesame oil (drizzled over the finished dish) 15 g

soy sauce (for the sauce) 20 g

sugar (for the sauce) 10 g

lard (medium-hot for sliding the chicken, higher-heat for frying) 750 g (about 75 g consumed)

Instructions

Cut and Marinate

Place the chicken skin-down, flatten with the back of a knife, then cross-hatch score it 2/3 deep and cut into 1.3 cm cubes. Transfer to a bowl, add the fine salt, and mix evenly with 25 g of wet cornstarch diluted.

Prepare the Ingredients

Peel and core the fresh lotus seeds (dried lotus seeds should be steamed until tender), and cut the shiitake mushrooms into small pieces.

Slide-Cook the Chicken

Heat the wok over the flame, oil it, then add the lard. When the oil reaches about 110°C (medium-hot, roughly 50%), add the chicken and use chopsticks to separate the pieces for 10 seconds. Once the oil temperature climbs to about 154°C (roughly 70%), slide the chicken for another 5 seconds, then drain into a colander.

Mix the Sauce

Combine the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and MSG with 10 g of wet cornstarch to make a sauce; set aside.

Stir-Fry

Leave 15 g of oil in the wok, add the scallion segments, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken, fresh lotus seeds, and mushrooms together, stir the prepared sauce with 25 g of water, pour it in, drizzle in 10 g of lard, and quickly toss the wok to combine evenly.