Chef Andys Technique Class Velveting Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
• In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, or a blender, add the egg white, rice wine, and salt.
• Blend on high, until the mixture is smooth and rather thick, about 60 seconds.
• Add the chicken to a bowl, and then pour the egg mixture over the chicken.
• Toss to thoroughly coat, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Chef's Tip: Stop by the fridge occasionally and give the bowl a twirl.
• VELVETING THE CHICKEN
• Add the water and peanut oil to a large pot, and bring to a simmer, but not a boil.
• Chef's Note: A simmer is where there are bubbles in the water, but few are actually breaking the surface
• Add the chicken and stir in the liquid until they are almost, but not quite cooked through, about 30 to 45 seconds. Do NOT overcook the chicken.
• Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, and then drain on a paper towel.
• At this point, you need to begin the stir frying, so make sure you have everything you need to complete your particular dish.
• Chef's Note: What are the Advantages of Velveting Chicken? Velveting chicken prevents it from overcooking and becoming dry. In addition, it also gives the chicken a smooth, velvety texture.
• Chef's Tip: You may have noticed that this method does not incorporate a lot of the ingredients usually seen in a marinade (oyster sauce, soy sauce, etc). Therefore you may have to up your seasoning during the stir fry, to achieve the desired taste.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• Trim chicken breasts to a uniform size, shape and thickness; they should be about 1/2 inch thick. (If using larger breasts, slice them into 1/2-inch-thick cutlets.) Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Velvet the chicken: In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, then whisk in cornstarch until lump-free. Add chicken breasts and coat well with cornstarch mixture, then cover and marinate for 30 minutes. (Chicken may also be marinated several hours ahead and refrigerated.)
• Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl, stir together Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dried mustard, horseradish and crème fraîche. Set aside.
• Put butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lay chicken breasts in the pan and sauté very lightly for 30 seconds a side without browning. Remove breasts and blot on paper towels. Discard remaining oil and wipe pan.
• Return skillet to stove and add mustard and crème fraîche mixture and chicken broth. Whisk together to make a thin sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Add breasts and simmer for 1 minute, then turn breasts over, cover pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 1 or 2 minutes more, until meat is firm to the touch.
• Transfer breasts to a warm platter. Bring sauce to a boil, add chopped thyme and reduce until slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over breasts, sprinkle with chives and serve.

Steps:

• Whisk egg white, vinegar, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl until marinade is smooth. Add chicken; cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
• Bring water and oil to a boil in a pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium.
• Pour excess marinade off the chicken. Add chicken to the pot; boil until white on the outside but still raw in the middle, about 1 minute. Strain off excess liquid.
• Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to use, up to a few hours. Heat until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Steps:

• For the velveted chicken: Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Add the cornstarch, baking soda, oil, 2 teaspoons of water and a pinch of salt and stir into the chicken until well incorporated. Let marinate at room temperature while you do the knife work for the vegetables. Or cover the chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• For the stir-fry: When ready to cook, bring about 4 inches water to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over high heat. Add the marinated chicken, stirring gently and constantly for about 2 minutes. The chicken will start out pink, turn opaque and white, then float to the top. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon or spider and reserve until it's time to stir-fry. You can also hold the pre-cooked chicken for a few days in the refrigerator.
• Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Swirl in the oil then immediately stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Stir in the mushrooms. The mushrooms will sear then start to release their moisture. Cook, stirring every 20 seconds, until the mushrooms look soft and almost ready to eat, about 2 minutes.
• Add the baby bok choy and bell peppers and stir-fry until they just start to soften and pick up some color, about 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken, scallions, oyster sauce, mushroom soy sauce, chicken powder and scallions and work all the sauces into the stir-fry, about 30 seconds. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Give the dish a light dusting with white pepper right before serving.