Chef Jeffrey Liang · Chinese Bistro
THE APPLICATION of sassy Beijing sauce makes these nuggets a very popular Mandarin chicken dish, which can be served as an appetizer or an entrée. This sweet-and-sour sauce made using Western ingredients such as ketchup and HP sauce is often used in other meat or seafood recipes such as pork chops and fish nuggets. If you like, use hot chili peppers or chili sauce to add heat to this dish.
3 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying
½ cup all-purpose flour
8 oz chicken thigh meat, in 1⁄8-inch slices
¾ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp HP sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp Maggi sauce
1 Tbsp red rice vinegar
½ tsp white sesame seeds
IN A LARGE saucepan or a deep fryer, heat vegetable oil to 325°F.
Line a large plate with paper towels. Place flour on a large, shallow plate. In a large bowl, combine chicken, ¼ tsp of the salt and egg until well coated. Lightly dip chicken pieces in flour to coat, shaking off any excess, then carefully place in oil and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the paper towel–lined plate to drain.
To make the Beijing sauce, combine sugar, the remaining ½ tsp salt, HP sauce, ketchup, hoisin sauce, Maggi sauce and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place a wok on high heat. Add chicken and sauté for 30 seconds, then slowly drizzle in the Beijing sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot, family-style.