Sound Tasting Episode 4 – Andrew Clapp

1 small can of bamboo shoots

1 small can of water chestnuts

2 large chicken breasts, diced into 1″ cubes

2 large carrots, 1/2″ dice

3 stalks celery, 1/2″ dice

1 medium-to-large onion, diced

2 tbsp minced garlic, fresh is best

2 tbsp minced ginger, fresh is essential

peanuts, about 1/2 cup

cold water, about 1/2 cup

corn starch, a few tbsp

hoisin sauce, 1/4-1/2 cup

chili paste with garlic, 1/4-1/2 cup

sesame oil (or other high temperature oil such as canola), a few tbsp.

Start rice, preferably long grain white rice like basmati or jasmine.  1 cup of rice to 1-3/4 cup water.  Bring water to a boil w/ pinch of salt and dash of oil, add rice, reduce heat to simmer and cover.  Remove from heat in 20 mins.  Fluff rice with fork.

In a large pan or walk, heat a few tbs of sesame oil to a shimmer on med to high heat.

Add onions and cook until clear and soft.

Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides.

Add carrots, celery, bamboo, water chestnuts and peanuts.

Continue to cook until carrots begin to soften.

Add garlic and ginger.

Add equal parts of hoisin sauce and chili paste and stir until well mixed.  Start with 1/4-1/2 cup of each.  Add more if you want more sauce, use less if you want less sauce.

Continue to cook and stir for a few minutes.  The sauce should become a little thinner before it heats up completely and then it will start to thicken again, which is about when you do the cornstarch.

Now mix about 1 tbsp corn starch in 1/2 cup cold water and stir until entirely dissolved.  Add this to the pan and stir until everything is mixed, which should begin to thicken the sauce.

If the sauce is not getting thicker after about 1 minute, or you have a larger quantity of sauce, repeat the cornstarch step with more cold water, mixing and stir it in, and bring the whole dish back up to very hot  tempeature to thicken it.

Once it reaches a nice consistency, remove from heat and serve over rice.