speedylee: **[Chicken Chop Suey](https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-stir-fry-chop-suey/)** by RecipeTin Eats
*Prep Time: 9 mins, Cook Time: 6 mins, Total Time: 14 mins, Servings: 2 – 3 people*
**Ingredients**
*Tenderised Chicken (Note 1):*
* 180 g / 6 oz chicken breast , thinly sliced
* 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (Note 1)
*Sauce (or use Charlie, Note 2):*
* 1 tbsp cornflour / corn starch
* 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
* 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
* 1 tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine (rice wine) (Note 4)
* 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
* Dash of white pepper (or black)
* 3/4 cup / 185 ml water
*Stir Fry:*
* 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other cooking oil)
* 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
* 1/2 onion , sliced (white, brown, yellow)
* 5 – 6 stems choy sum (or other Asian greens)
* 1 medium carrot
* 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake is authentic, but any will do)
* 1 cup bean sprouts
**Instructions**
*Tenderise Chicken (optional, Note 1)*
1. Place chicken in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Use your fingers to mix then set aside for 20 minutes, no longer than 30 minutes (can get too tender).
2. Rinse well, pat excess water with paper towels, set aside.
*Prep Ingredients:*
1. Place cornflour and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix until lump free. Then add remaining Sauce ingredients and stir.
2. Trim end off choy sum. Then cut into 7cm / 3″ pieces. Separate stems from leaves.
3. Peel carrot, cut into 3cm / 1.3″ pieces. Then slice the pieces thinly (see video).
*Stir Fry:*
1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add onion, Cook for 1 minute, moving constantly, until onion is starting to wilt.
2. Add chicken, cook for 1 minute until the surface changes from pink to white.
3. Add choy sum stems, carrot and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
Add choy sum leaves, bean sprouts and Sauce. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the Sauce thickens to a thick syrup consistency. Vegetables should still be tender/crisp, not soggy and soft.
4. Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles.
**Recipe Notes**
1. Tenderised Chicken: This is one method that Chinese restaurants use to tenderise chicken – marinating chicken in baking soda. Breast in particular benefits from this – it makes it juicier and the texture more velvety (hence why this is called “velveting”). However, this step is optional.
2. CHARLIE is my All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce. If you haven’t met him yet and you love stir fries, you are going to be best friends very soon. Find the recipe for him [here](https://www.recipetineats.com/real-chinese-purpose-stir-fry-sauce/), along with how to use him. To use Charlie for this recipe, replace the Sauce with 4 tablespoons of Charlie + 3/4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch + 3/4 cup water.
3. LIGHT SOY SAUCE: This is what keeps the sauce colour clear-ish. You can use ordinary all purpose soy sauce and it will pretty much look the same. If you use dark soy sauce, reduce to 1 tbsp – will still be tasty but the sauce will be super dark brown and a stronger soy flavour.
4. CHINESE COOKING WINE: An essential in stir fries, it is what makes them taste as good as what you get at Chinese restaurants. Australia: Pandaroo Chinese Wine is now sold in Coles / Woolies / Harris Farms. Otherwise, Asian Grocery Stores sell it (see in post for photo) and it is much cheaper, $2 for a large bottle that will last for ages. Substitutions: dry sherry (yes, really), Mirin (though your sauce will be a bit sweeter) or Japanese cooking Sake. Non alcoholic: Use chicken broth instead of water in the Sauce.
5. No need to marinate the chicken for this recipe because it’s sliced thinly and there’s plenty of sauce!
creamyhorror: Looks real simple and easy, a good basic approach for stir-fries in general. Nice!
