Sweet Mango Chicken
2 min readThis Thai-inspired dish features ginger, curry, turmeric, and mango — spicy and sweet flavors that meld magically and are not for the meek.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg white
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons plus
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 can mango slices with reserved juice 1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon curry paste
1 ⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup oil for frying
1. Cut the chicken into cubes. Mix in the egg white, rice wine, salt, and cornstarch. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the rice vinegar, brown sugar, and 3 ⁄4 cup of reserved mango juice to a boil. Keep warm on low heat.
3. Add 1 cup oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When the oil is hot, velvet the chicken by cooking very briefly in the hot oil, until it changes color and is nearly cooked through (about 30 seconds). Use tongs or cooking chopsticks to separate the individual pieces of chicken while it is cooking.
4. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. (Wipe out the wok with a paper towel if necessary.) When oil is hot, add the ginger, curry paste, and turmeric. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until aromatic. Add the chicken and mix with the curry paste. 5. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the mango slices. Mix all the ingredients and serve hot.
Velveting Meat
Velveting meat is a handy trick restaurants use to tenderize meat such as chicken, pork, or beef. Why does it work? The initial contact with hot oil shocks the muscles, causing them to relax. The muscles remain relaxed when they are stir- or deep-fried according to the recipe instructions. The result is a piece of meat that is both firm and juicy.
