Recipe for Bright’s Stir Fried Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Oyster Sauce
200g (7oz) wild mushrooms
1 medium carrot, halved, thinly sliced
2 thin slices ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced at an angle
600ml (1 pint) water
½ tsp Chinese five spice
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle
1 dessertspoon arrowroot in water to thicken the juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar
Bring the water to the boil in a wide saucepan.
Trim the mushrooms and scald in boiling water for a few seconds.
Remove the mushrooms from the water with a Chinese sieve (Zhao Li) and put the mushrooms aside with a little of the water.
Heat a wok on the highest heat, add the olive oil (for a Chinese stir fry always add the oil to a very hot pan.) Stir fry the sliced carrots, ginger, chopped garlic and chicken for a few seconds and then add the water, Chinese five spice and oyster sauce.
After two minutes, add the sliced mushrooms and the spring onion. Toss well. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and taste. This dish is a salty Chinese stir fry.
Add the arrowroot liquid into the juice. Don’t add it directly onto the hot pan or the arrowroot will burn immediately.) Mix the arrowroot through the dish, the juice should thicken quickly and coat all of the ingredients.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle a little oil around the hot pan and turn over again.
This step is to give Chinese dishes a fresh and light colour.
Remove to a hot plate and serve immediately.
