Adam Liaw's Chinese almond chicken

Name: Adam Liaw's Chinese almond chicken
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1 tsp dark soy sauce; 1 tsp corn starch; salt, to season; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 large chicken breast fillet (about 250g), cut into 2cm cubes; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 1 cup blanched almonds; 3 slices ginger, bruised; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes; ½ small carrot, sliced into half-moons on a steep diagonal; 10 snow peas; 1 tsp corn starch, mixed with ¼ cup of cold water

Adam Liaw

February 28, 2023

Chinese almond chicken stir-fry.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:2

Almond chicken is a North American Chinese dish found throughout the United States and Canada. It's chicken, almonds and few vegetables in a classic Chinese brown sauce.

Ingredients

1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp corn starch
salt, to season
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 large chicken breast fillet (about 250g), cut into 2cm cubes
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup blanched almonds
3 slices ginger, bruised
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
½ small carrot, sliced into half-moons on a steep diagonal
10 snow peas
1 tsp corn starch, mixed with ¼ cup of cold water

Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
½ cup chicken stock
½ tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Combine the soy sauce, corn starch, salt, bicarb and 2 tablespoons of water and use to coat the chicken. Set aside.
2. Combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat and add the oil. Add the almonds and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Remove from the wok. Add the chicken to the oil and fry for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the wok.
4. Add a little more oil to the wok if needed, then the ginger and garlic and toss for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is browned. Add the onion and carrot and toss for a minute or two until just starting to soften. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the wok, add the snow peas and toss through. Drizzle in enough corn starch mixture to thicken the wok's contents to a silky consistency. Toss through the almonds and serve.
Adam's tip: I am often asked how Chinese restaurants tenderise their meats for that distinctive silky texture, and the answer is bicarbonate of soda. The alkaline soda reduces the amount the meat proteins tighten as they're cooked.
Also try Adam Liaw's Canadian ginger beef