Chinese Chicken and Prawns

Why do chicken and prawns go well together? They do don't they. Maybe because both are white meat, and both have approximately the same cooking time. Dishes that mix prawn and chicken are very common.

This Chinese Chicken and Prawn recipe makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:
2 large whole chicken breasts
500 g (1 lb) prawns, shelled
3 carrots
4 celery stalks
250 g (8 oz) mushrooms
1 bunch shallots
4 tablespoons peanut oil
1 clove garlic, halved
250 g (8 oz) snow peas
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon corn flour
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
Chinese noodles and vermicelli

Procedure
Remove chicken from bone and cut into 3cm (1 in) pieces. Cut prawns in half, lengthwise. Thinly slice carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cut shallots into 5cm (2 in) pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil with garlic in a wok. Stir-fry chicken and prawns for 2 minutes, or until chicken is golden; push to one side.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil; add carrots, celery, mushrooms, shallots and snow peas; stir fry until vegetables are coated with oil.

Pour chicken stock into pan; cover, steam 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crispy tender.

Combine corn flour, sherry and ginger in a cup; stir into a pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and bubbles 2 minutes. Serve over Chinese noodles or vermicelli.

How to cook Chicken Chow Mein

Chow Mein is a generic term for a dish of stir-fried noodles. Thus Chicken Chow Mein stands for stir-fired noodles with chicken trips.

This chicken chow mein recipe is good for four servings.

Chicken Chow Mein Ingredients:
250 g (8 oz) Chinese egg noodles
4 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 white stalk celery
1 medium-sized green capsicum
2 large chicken breasts
2 teaspoons dry sherry (again)
2 teaspoons corn flour
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
salt
cooking oil

How to cook Chicken Chow Mein
Drop noodles into a large sauce pan of boiling salted water. When noodles begin to soften separate them using chopsticks or fork. Drain,rinse under cold running water, drain again and spread on absorbent paper or tray. Sprinkle with 1 table spoon peanut oil.

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, rinse in cold water. Drain, remove stalks, cut mushroom in strips.

Put the strips of mushroom in a small sauce pan with the 3 teaspoons dry sherry, soy sauce, sugar and the oil. Cook gently, stirring for 3 minutes. Put aside.

Shred the celery and capsicum finely. Put aside.

Bone the chicken breasts and cut into short thin strips. Put in a bowl. Add the 2 teaspoons dry sherry and corn flour, stir well. Put aside for 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil with the grated ginger, add the celery and capsicum, and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in mushroom strips, fry for another minute, remove all from the pan. Set aside.

Add another 2 tablespoons oil in the pan, heat and add the chicken strips. Fry, stirring until the strips turn white. Replace the vegetables, add salt to taste. Reheat stirring well.

Heat 1 cup oil, fry noodles, half at a time, turning once to crisp. Put on a platter and top with the chicken mixture.