Name: Four seasons (chop suey)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 skinless chicken breast diced; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp shaoxing wine; 1 tsp light soy sauce; ¼ tsp sugar; 1 tbsp cornflour; 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); 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp of water until combined

A large bowl of chop suey with chopsticks on the side

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

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.