Best Chef Andys Technique Class Velveting Chicken Recipes

VELVETING CHICKEN BREAST, CHINESE RESTAURANT-STYLE

Velveting Chicken Breast, Chinese Restaurant-Style image

Chicken as moist and tender as the best Chinese restaurant. Not my technique--got online--why limit it to Chinese? Chicken can be stored for a few hours before adding to vegetables and sauce when food is just about done.

Provided by VICTORIA

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Chinese

Time 46m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 egg white
1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
8 cups water
1 tablespoon peanut oil

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 155.8 calories, Carbohydrate 1.9 g, Cholesterol 58.3 mg, Fat 5.7 g, Protein 22.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.2 g, Sodium 556 mg, Sugar 0.1 g

VELVETED CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND BOK CHOY

Velveted Chicken Stir-Fry with Shiitake Mushrooms and Bok Choy image

To up your stir-fry game, here's an old-school technique called "velveting." It's a process that makes your proteins super tender. It's that "slippery" mouthfeel that is synonymous with Chinese takeout. This is a great dish to celebrate the lunar new year, autumn festival or any occasion. You can apply this velveting method to any stir-fry.

Provided by Jet Tila

Categories main-dish

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons canola oil or other oil for high-heat cooking
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons canola or other oil for high-heat cooking
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick, or 1 ounce sliced rehydrated dried shiitakes
12 ounces baby bok choy, trimmed of ends and cut into thirds
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
2 scallions, sliced into 1-inch lengths on the bias
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
1 teaspoon chicken powder
Pinch white pepper

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.

CHEF ANDY'S TECHNIQUE CLASS: VELVETING CHICKEN

Chef Andy's Technique Class: Velveting Chicken image

I love a good stir fry, and there are so many good recipes for stir frying any number of ingredients; however, when it comes to chicken, unless you know exactly what you're doing (and sometimes even when you know what you're doing), the chicken comes out a bit on the dry side, and sometimes tasting a bit chalky. I HATE it when that happens. The process is simple to perform, and the only thing you have to do is let it sit for about a day. Velveting chicken is not new, but this recipe incorporates a twist, based on one of my favorite Chinese chefs. So, you ready... Let's get into the kitchen.

Provided by Andy Anderson ! @ThePretentiousChef

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 pound(s) boneless chicken breast
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon(s) rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon(s) salt, kosher variety
VELVETING THE CHICKEN
4 cup(s) filtered water
3 teaspoon(s) peanut oil

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.