CHICKEN FU-YUNG

Serves 4.

Preparation & cooking time: about 25–30 mins.

In most Chinese restaurants, a ‘fu-yung’ dish usually means omelette or scrambled eggs, but strictly speaking, fu-yung in Chinese means ‘lotus-white’ which should be creamy-textured egg whites that have been lightly deep- fried. This prompted some imaginative cooks to call this dish ‘Deep-fried Milk’!

Use the best part of the breastmeat for this recipe i.e. the strip just along the breastbone – known as ‘chicken goujon’ or ‘inner fillet’.

115–175g (4–6 oz) chicken breastmeat

pinch of salt

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon thick cornflour paste

2 tablespoons milk

about 600ml (1 pint) oil for deep-frying

about 100ml (4fl oz) stock

1 tablespoon peas

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine

a pinch of MSG (optional)

a few drops of sesame oil

1 teaspoon finely minced ham to garnish

Finely mince the chicken meat, mix with the salt, egg white, cornflour paste and milk; blend well.

Heat the oil in a very hot wok. Pour the chicken and egg white mixture into the wok in batches – do not stir this mixture, otherwise it will scatter, but gently stir the oil from the bottom of the wok so that the ‘fu-yung’ will rise tothe surface. Remove as soon as the colour turns bright white; drain.

Wipe the wok clean, bring the stock to the boil, add the peas, chicken and wine, bring to the boil, then add the MSG (if using) and sesame oil, blend well. Serve garnished with the ham.

NB Prawns or crabmeat can be substituted for the chicken.

hancheng

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