Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. sugar
- 1 dash soy sauce
- 1 dash white pepper
- 1½ tsp. cornstarch divided
- 1 cup chicken breast sliced
- 1 tsp. Garlic chopped
- 1 cup onion sliced
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 1 cup green pepper sliced
- 1 cup carrot sliced ¼-inch thick
- ½ cup baby corn
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil divided
- ½ tsp. hot chili oil
- 2 tsp. water
- Steamed or fried rice
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine salt, sugar, soy sauce, white pepper and ½ tsp. cornstarch; add chicken and coat all sides. Let rest for about 15 minutes. In a wok or large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, sauté marinated chicken, cooking 3 minutes or until barely cooked through; remove chicken and drain.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in wok, add garlic and onion, sauté until golden brown. Add chicken and black pepper with remaining vegetables. Add ½/2 cup water and chili oil. Mixing 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water. Add to mixture and cook until mixture thickens.
- Serve with steamed or fried rice.
About Ah Sa Wan
Location:
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Status:
Permanently closed
Dates active:
1994-2021
Chinese restaurants have always been popular in Minneapolis, dating back to the early twentieth-century, when John’s Place and Nankin opened their doors with exotic fare that Minnesotans literally gobbled up.
It wasn’t long after the skyway opened in downtown Minneapolis in 1962 that Chinese restaurants popped up along the climate-controlled routes through buildings and across streets. Through the decades, many have come and gone.
Ah Sa Wan was one of the restaurants that took advantage of the steady stream of foot traffic and nearby offices filled with workers. The restaurant grew in the 1990s to operate three locations. Co-owner Chester Lee could often be found behind the counter, serving up favorites like beef lo mein, chicken almond ding, mushroom tofu, and black pepper chicken.
At the end of the decade, they were down to two locations, and by the time they permanently closed in 2021, they were operating just one location in the skyway of the Pillsbury Building (now U.S. Bank Plaza)
If you have additional information about the downtown skyway eatery, please feel free to reach out. I’d love to add to its story. Until then, enjoy the recipe!
Gallery
