Chicken Subgum Chow Mein
John's Place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 cups celery (about 14-18 large stalks)
- ⅔ cup button mushrooms
- ½ cup bamboo tips
- ⅔ cup whole water chestnuts
- 1 pound white and dark meat chicken, skin and bones removed
- Dice each ingredient above into pieces about ½-inch square and ⅓-inch thick and set aside on separate plates.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon rendered chicken fat
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1½ tablespoons cornstrach
- 1½ tablespoons water
- 5-6 egg crepe strips
- deep-fried egg noodles
- steamed white rice
Instructions
- Blanch the celery in a large pot of boiling water. Let the water return to a boil and cook until celery color begins to deepen, about one minute. Remove celery from water and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and refresh the color. The celery will have a sweeter flavor than raw celery.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot and coat with the vegetable oil and then the chicken fat; add the garlic. Quickly stir-fry the garlic to flavor the oil, about 10 seconds, then add the chicken pieces and quickly stir-fry for 1 minute, until the chicken begins to color.
- Add the blanched celery and mix with the chicken; then add the mushrooms, bamboo tips, and water chestnuts. Mix together and add the chicken stock. Quickly bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the celery is tender.
- Push the ingredients to the edge of the pan, leaving a pool of broth in the middle. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then slowly add it to the liquid, stirring until it begins to thicken, about a minute. Then mix the thickened sauce into the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry until the sauce becomes clear and coats all of the ingredients. Remove from heat.
- Serve on a plate over deep-fried egg noodles and top with egg crepe strips. Garnish with a scoop of steamed white rice at the side.
Egg Crepe Strips
John's Place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Servings: 60 strips
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons vegetable oil
- dash salt
Instructions
- Combine egg, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl and beat well with a wire whisk. Do not make it frothy. Pour mixture through a fine strainer.
- Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Pour half the egg mixture into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to swirl the mixture around to form a very thin crepe.
- Cook over low heat for about a minute, until the egg is firm enough to turn over. Do not brown the crepe. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds and remove to a board or plate to cool.
- Cut into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long. Set aside. They will keep for several hours.
