Easy Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry

The Chinese style of stir frying is one of the healthiest cooking methods in use in the world today. The concept of cooking the food quickly and at incredibly high temperatures means that the nutritional value of the component ingredients is not compromised. It is also an excellent method of cooking for those with busy lifestyles who simply do not have hours on end to spend in meal preparation. Chinese stir frying is an incredibly versatile process in terms of the ingredients which are suited to this method of cooking and there is no danger of meals becoming repetitive for those with a modicum of imagination, or any form of access to recipe resources.

There is often much made about chicken in culinary terms regarding the importance of always ensuring it is properly cooked. This point is totally valid and one which must always be adhered to, as the inherent risks of failing to do so are enormous. The issue of whether we should very often pay extra to buy a free range and/or organic chicken is less well defined and at least something of a matter of personal choice.

What is less often debated is the form in which we purchase raw chicken. In an instance such as this, when chicken breast only is required, it is likely that we will buy only pre-filleted chicken breasts. There is, however, what may prove to be a more economical and practical alternative in buying a whole chicken and dividing it up in to portions at home.

How to Cut Up a Raw Chicken

It is vitally important when stir frying that we do not put too much food in to the wok at the same time. This serves to compromise the level of heat which can be built up in the wok and thus the whole principal by which stir frying operates. The ingredients included below are for one person.

Ingredients

1 skinless chicken breast fillet

1 small white onion

3 large chestnut mushrooms

3oz basmati or long grained rice

1 egg white

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp soy sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A little parsley to garnish

Note: The onion should be peeled, quartered and separated in to individual leaves, while the mushrooms should either be halved or quartered, depending upon their size.

Undercooked chicken is, as most people know, extremely dangerous to our health but there is another side to the coin, particularly when stir frying chicken at the especially hot temperatures which are involved. As chicken is such a delicate meat, the danger is that the chicken can become overcooked and not only burned but incredibly tough and unpalatable. The Chinese have a technique to prevent this from happening and it is called, "Velveting," the chicken.

Velveting chicken is essentially a means of protecting the chicken during its required cooking time. It is an incredibly simple process and the required procedures are as follows:

• Chop the chicken breast fillet in to approximately one inch pieces
• Add an egg white only to a glass bowl
• Add one tsp of cornflour and 1/2 tsp of salt to the egg white and stir well to combine
• Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and stir well again to ensure even coating
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for twenty to thirty minutes
• Drain the chicken well through a colander or sieve, removing as much of the excess egg mixture as possible
• Bring the wok up to a high heat, add a tbsp of sunflower oil and heat through
• Add the chicken pieces and stir fry for around thirty seconds, only until they turn opaque and almost white
• Remove the chicken pieces from the wok and drain well
  

When making fried rice, it is firstly necessary to cook the rice by boiling it and to subsequently allow it to cool prior to being fried. The raw rice should be washed through a sieve under running cold water and then added to boiling, salted water for ten minutes. It should then be drained well, spread out on a large plate, covered with some kitchen towel and allowed to cool. It is important not to leave the rice like this for more than an hour, however, or a risk of food poisoning will develop. If the rice has to be boiled for practical reasons more than an hour before it is to be fried, it should be refrigerated when it has cooled sufficiently.

It is important when preparing to stir fry that all ingredients and required utensils are close to hand, as the process is conducted so quickly. As well as the wok, a wooden spatula will be required for the process.

The wok should be brought up to a smoking hot heat before approximately a tbsp of sunflower oil is added. The oil should be heated and the onions should be added to the wok. The onions should be stir fried for about thirty seconds, before the mushrooms and partially cooked chicken are added. No more than a further minute's stir frying at maximum heat will be required. The dish should be seasoned and transferred to a heated serving dish. A little parsley should be added as garnish and the food either kept warm on a hotplate or covered with foil while the rice is quickly fried.

The wok should be quickly and carefully wiped and then re-heated and more oil added. The cold rice should be added and stir fried for about a minute before a little dark soy sauce is added and quickly stirred through. The rice can simply be plated up straight from the wok but by firstly packing it in to a clingfilm lined bowl, the serving plate placed on top and the two inverted, a greater presentation level is achieved.