International Cooking Challenge: China - Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms

For our Chinese night in our International Cooking Challenge, The Boy just wanted to order Chinese food from our favorite Chinese restaurant. I wanted to actually cook something.  We improvised with some store bought, and a homemade main dish.

We read some facts about China, and I realize that I have made the kind of Chinese food that most Americans are familiar with.  I would love to delve farther into the many cuisines of China, but this was a good start.

For our side dishes, I got some Chinese bao (steamed pork buns), pork dumplings, and vegetable fried rice.

I decided to make some Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms for our main dish.

The kids adored the whole meal!  I would love to try it again with some dried Chinese mushrooms.  I used shitake because that was what I could find easily.  I would totally make this dish again.  It was quick and easy.  I don't have a wok (I know, the travesty! - but I also have an electric stove that isn't ideal for a wok anyhow), so I used a saute pan.  Cooking times would be different in a wok, so I'll just give you the instructions that I used. 

Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms
(modified from Erren's Kitchen)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (~1 Tbsp grated ginger)
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 oz  shitake mushrooms
1/2 c chopped bell peppers (I used a mixture of different colors, you could use your favorite)
4 Tbsp oyster sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp cooking sherry
1/4 c beef broth
1 green onion

Microplane works great for ginger!

Sliced shitake mushrooms

Pound chicken flat and slice into strips.  Slice mushrooms into strips.  Set both aside.

 

Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat in a heavy saute pan.  Add the garlic and ginger and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms and peppers and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Cooking, with bao and dumplings steaming alongside

Mmmm, pork buns

Whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sherry, and broth.  Add to the pan and cook until thickened and the chicken and mushrooms are cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Serve with fried rice, topped with chopped scallion.