Crispy Rice & Chicken

A Simply Scrumptious Asian Dinner!

Crispy rice with chicken

10 ounces chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

3/4 cup diced celery

3/4 cup diced carrot

1 cup mushroom slices, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon finely diced ginger

3 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

vegetable oil for frying

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

3 1/2 cups rich chicken stock

3 tablespoon cornstarch

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

4 cups cooked white rice, steamed until tender, and cooled to room temperature. Chill at least 1 hour.

-Cut chicken tenders into 1-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Add 1 clove garlic, minced and stir. Set aside for 30 minutes.

-Chop and dice onion, green onions, carrots, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Mince ginger and garlic and set aside.

-Pour 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet and heat till shimmering over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces to the skillet and stir constantly until pieces are opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and place in strainer set over a bowl to collect juices. Repeat with the other half of chicken pieces. Set aside. (This process is called "velvetizing" the meat and makes it very tender and soft.)

-In large skillet or wok, add 2 tablespoons oil and sesame oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, green onions, red peppers, carrots, celery and mushrooms and stir-fry until veggies are slightly soft (about 4 minutes). Add ginger and garlic and stir for another 2 minutes.

-Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch over the top of the vegetables. Stir in until powder is no longer seen then slowly pour in the chicken stock. Stir together and cook over medium heat until the stock thickens. Add the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chicken with drippings and cook and stir another 3 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and season as needed. Keep warm over low temperature.

-In a large sauce pan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat to about 350 degrees. Carefully add about 1 cup of the cooked rice at a time. Oil will bubble up vigorously. Let rice cook until grains puff up a bit but stay their white color - don't let it become golden (about 4 minutes.) Remove with a slotted spoon or spider directly into an individual serving bowl. Quickly pour about a cup of the hot chicken mixture over the rice. The rice should sizzle and pop a bit. Continue process with remaining rice and chicken mixture.

-Garnish the top of each dish with thin slices of red pepper, minced green onion or thinly sliced green onion tops and serve.

-Serves 5-6