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Make Angela Hui's four seasons (chop suey), then try spicy chicken chow mein, soy sauce chow mein, or pork biang biang noodles.

Four seasons was our take on the ubiquitous chop suey, but with added extras. It was the signature special dish at Lucky Star and the first number on our menu, which had it all and represented all the elements: land, sea and air. Char siu pork, chicken, prawn and beef mixed with veggies such as carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and celery. It’s bound in a starch-thickened sauce that clings on and coats everything in this harmonious stir-fried dish. Chop suey is probably the most adapted cuisine in the world – this style of Chinese food is the history of survival, ingenuity and cultural identity. It is a British Chinese takeaway classic created and tailored for western palates.


Four seasons (chop suey) recipe

For the silky chicken marinade

  • 1 skinless chicken breast
    diced
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour

For the four seasons stir-fry

  • 2 garlic cloves
    smacked and diced
  • 3 slices of ginger
    smacked and diced
  • ½ onion
    peeled and cut into chunks
  • small handful of soaked and rehydrated wood ear mushrooms
  • 2 broccoli florets
    halved
  • small handful of bamboo shoot slices
  • 2 water chestnuts
    sliced
  • 4 baby corns
    sliced into quarters
  • ¼ carrot
    sliced into circles on a diagonal
  • 2 button mushrooms
    quartered
  • 1 chinese leaf
    quartered
  • ¼ each green, yellow and red peppers
    cut into chunks
  • 5 cooked Chinese roast duck slices
  • 5 cooked char siu slices
  • 5 king prawns
    peeled and deveined
  • pinch of white pepper
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
    to serve
  • 1 tsp MSG
    (optional)

For cornflour slurry

  • 1 tbsp cornflour
    mixed with 1 tbsp of water until combined

Nutrition:

  • kcal678
  • fat33.2g
  • saturates11g
  • carbs35.9g
  • sugars14.8g
  • fibre8.6g
  • protein54.8g
  • salt3.5g

Method

  • step 1

    First marinate the chicken by combining the chicken with the marinade ingredients and setting aside for at least 10 mins. This technique is called velveting – the cornflour and shaoxing wine help tenderise the protein and give juicy and silky meat.

  • step 2

    Put a cup of water in a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the marinated chicken to poach. Cook for 2-3 mins until the chicken has changed colour and it’s no longer raw – you want to slightly under-cook the chicken. Drain off any liquid, reserving it for later.

  • step 3

    Put 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok. Cook the aromatics (garlic, ginger and onion) for 1-2 mins to release their flavour. Add about half the reserved poaching liquid. Add the wood ear mushrooms, broccoli, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Cook for 1-2 mins. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 1-2 mins.

  • step 4

    Add all the meat, the king prawns and chicken. Cook for 3-5 mins or until the prawns have changed colour to pink.

  • step 5

    Add the cornflour slurry to thicken the liquid into a sauce. Give it a mix to ensure everything is coated. Season with white pepper and more oyster sauce if needed. Drizzle over sesame oil before serving.

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