Chinese-style chicken.
Taste buds were getting a bit jaded with Mediterranean flavours so I was looking afield for something new and remembered cooking in Chongqing in China. I might not have all the ingredients but could make up something interesting with luck.
One of my basics is GGG: 250g fresh peeled root ginger, 125g peeled garlic and 70g de-seeded green chilli. Roughly chop the ingredients and then turn in to a rough paste in the food processor. Freeze in teaspoonfuls and you always have them ready for a curry or other more Oriental dish like this one.
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1 heaped tablespoon of Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 portions GGG
1 large onion, peeled and cut lengthwise in to strips
2 peppers, de-seeded and cut in to strips
3 carrots, peeled and cut in to strips
8 mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sweet Chinese wine (or some sugar dissolved in water)
A cup of water
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil.
Method:
Roll the chicken in the 5 spice powder while you prepare the vegetables.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken and GGG. Cook for about five minutes before turning over and adding the onions and peppers. Cook for a further five minutes.
Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add all the remaining ingredients before covering and cooking on a very low heat for about an hour until the chicken is tender and the vegetables cooked.
My Tips:
I served this with simple plain rice. The easiest way to slice the carrots was simply to use the peeler to produce long thin curls.