Chicken Dinners
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Fortune cookie not provided. [Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]

Notes: I prefer the flavorful and moister dark chicken meat from the thighs or drumsticks, but white boneless breast will work fine (and is convenient), as will a combination of the two.

Wood ear mushrooms can be found dried in most Chinese grocers. Soak in water for 30 minutes or overnight to rehydrate.

To cook the omelettes, I like using a wok because the bowl-shaped bottom helps to contain the egg, helping it to keep its shape. The egg also bubbles up and crisps nicely in the oil. The downside is that you can only fry one omelette at a time. A non-stick skillet will also work, but you may need more oil to fully cover the bottom of the pan by about 1/4-inch to fry the egg properly. Use a rubber spatula to push the eggs into a round shape so that they don't spread too far. I ladle a small amount of the liquid in the egg mixture into the pan first to create a skin, which will facilitate flipping. Take care when flipping the omelette in the hot oil. I found a cast iron skillet did not work.

About the author: Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide To Easy Artisan Bread. You can also watch her culinary stylings on the America's Test Kitchen television show. She presently lives in Singapore as a freelance writer for Time Out Singapore. Check out her blog: shophousecook.com. Follow Yvonne on Twitter.

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About This Recipe

Yield: serves 3 to 4
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour
Special equipment: wok or non-stick skillet, skillet with lid

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh (see note above), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, divided
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1 1/2 cup re-hydrated wood ear mushrooms, rinsed and sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons (see note above), divided
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 large scallions, chopped (1/2 cup), plus extra for garnishing plate
  • 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 8 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 pound baby bok choy, washed but not dried, halved vertically
  • 4 cups cooked rice to serve on side

Procedures

  1. In medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons rice wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.

  2. in small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup chicken broth with cornstarch; set aside. In small saucepan over medium heat, whisk remaining cup chicken broth, oyster sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons rice wine, soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Bring to simmer and whisk in cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil, gently whisking, until sauce comes to boil and thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

  3. In large bowl, whisk eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Toss in bean sprouts, 1/2 cup mushrooms, onions, and scallions.

  4. In wok or 10-inch nonstick skillet (see note), heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place on paper towel-lined plate. Add chicken to egg mixture.

  5. Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok. When shimmering, ladle approximately a tablespoon of egg mixture liquid into oil (see note). Immediately ladle in about 1/2 cup of egg mixture, including all solids, on top. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, about 30 seconds.

  6. Quickly but carefully, flip omelette and cook until golden, about 30 seconds more. Using slotted spoon, transfer omelette to large serving plate.

  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to form remaining omelets.

  8. When omelets are done, cook bok choy. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in wok over high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add bok choy, toss to combine, then cover and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in wood ear mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  9. Serve bok choy and omelets with prepared gravy and white rice on the side.