Serendipity wrote:
> George wrote:
>
>> Serendipity wrote:
>>
>>> We had great chicken chop suey at a Chinese restaraunt. I tried to
>>> duplicate it last night. It was close but something was missing.
>>> The result was good but just a little bland. Can anyone tell me what
>>> else I should have added? I'm thinking a little soy sauce or perhaps
>>> used a different oil.
>>>
>>> My recipe:
>>> 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips
>>> 1/2 med onion cut into strips
>>> ~1 c sliced mushrooms
>>> ~3 c sprouted (home sprouted and very fresh) mung beans
>>> 1 227 ml can sliced bamboo
>>> water
>>> corn starch
>>>
>>> I stir fried the chicken strips in light olive oil then added the
>>> vegetables. When the vegetables were ready, I added a little water
>>> then thickened with a water/corn starch mixture.
>>
>>
>>
>> You are missing the ingredients that would give it the "Asian" flavor.
>> I would add soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine (such as Xiaoxing) and
>> maybe some oyster sauce. Also as you suggested a more neutral oil.
>
>
> Ok, thanks George! I don't often cook Asian aside of refried rice. So
> I would cook in the sesame oil rather than the olive oil? And how much
> of the soy, cooking wine and oyster sauce would I add. Very much
> appreciated!


Oh my goodness! No you don't cook in sesame oil! Toasted sesame oil is
a powerful condiment that is added a few drops at a time right before
serving. I use just a little oyster sauce and sesame oil when I make
fried rice. I use oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and lots of peppers when
I stirfry vegetables with meat or noodles, but that's a much different
style than you are describing. Oyster sauce goes well with beef, and it
tastes surprisingly unlike oysters.

I would probably start by adding garlic (or scallions if you don't like
garlic), ginger, and rice wine or cooking sherry. Adjust the salt by
adding soy sauce (unless you prefer fish sauce, which smells like fish
and tastes like soy sauce but saltier.)

Bob