CHRISTMAS DAY 2010

CANTONESE CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

We are having our family Christmas meal the day after Christmas this year.  Our one traditional food for Christmas day is shrimp cocktail, so tonight we plan to have that with some wine, imported cheeses, and crackers. I'll cook a ham and all the trimmings for tomorrow's meal so I decided to try this new recipe that I've been saving, for our Christmas day meal. We all liked it a lot. Every bite is a discovery of a new flavor, from the slightly fishy taste of the oyster sauce, to the crunchy freshness of the bok choy, and the nutty sweetness of exotic mushrooms. I did add some dried hot peppers from our garden to give it a bit of a kick, as well as one carrot  sliced diagonally.  The carrot adds much needed color as well as crunch.  

Most of the work involved in making this dish is in the preparation. Once all the ingredients are prepped the actual cooking time is relatively short. The dish has a very authentic taste, which I attribute to the oyster sauce.  Yes, it has a slightly fishy taste, but it's not off-putting at all. This is a low-calorie dish with only 303 calories per serving.

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup oyster sauce

2 TBS cornstarch

2 TBS peanut oil ( I used olive oil)

6 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces

8 thin slices peeled ginger

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

8-10 ounces sliced mushrooms, such as cremini, shitake or a mix

12 ounces baby bok choy, cut crosswies into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/4 c low-sodium chicken broth

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (again I used olive oil)

Cooked rice, for serving

1. Toss chicken with oyster sauce in a bowl.  Mix cornstarch with 3 TBS cold water in another bowl.

2. Heat a wok or deep skillet over high heat until hot.  Add the peanut oil, then scallions, ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink on outside, 2-3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and bok choy.

3. Add broth and sesame oil to skillet and bring to boil over high heat.  Add cornstarch mixture, and return to boil, cooking and tossing until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick and glossy, 2-3 minutes.  Serve over rice