Velvet chicken with fried almonds and broccolini

Name: Velvet chicken with fried almonds and broccolini
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 500-600g skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips; 1 litre water; 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil; 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, extra; 100g flaked almonds; 2 tsp ginger, finely sliced; 2 bunches broccolini, blanched

Stephanie Alexander

March 10, 2021

Velvet chicken with fried almonds and broccolini.Rebecca Hallas

Time:1-2 hoursServes:4

Irene Kuo, author of The Key to Chinese Cooking, helped me to understand this technique, which ensures that stir-fried chicken has a soft texture. It is nothing short of miraculous - and so simple.

Ingredients

500-600g skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
1 litre water
1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, extra
100g flaked almonds
2 tsp ginger, finely sliced
2 bunches broccolini, blanched

Velvet coating

1 egg white
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp cornflour

Method

To coat the chicken, lightly whisk the egg white in a large bowl (do not let it go frothy). Whisk in the other coating ingredients. Add the chicken strips and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bring the water and one tablespoon of the oil to boil in a wide pan (a wok is ideal). Add the chicken and keep stirring, to separate the strips, until the chicken pieces look white (this should take less than a minute). Tip into a colander and shake off liquid.
Heat half the extra oil in the pan and fry the flaked almonds until golden. Scoop on to paper towels.
Wipe out wok. Heat remaining oil, sear the ginger and then quickly toss the chicken pieces for about a minute. Add blanched broccolini for a few seconds and then serve. Scatter almonds over.