MMMM food!

So, I have always sucked at making 'asian food'.  I think it might be because everything seems to be fried and so I always try to cut out that step and in the process loose all of the delicious flavor!  So, my buddy Brandon came over last night to show me how its done.  It was MMMMMMM!  He spent, what I can only think was the better part of the day collecting the food stuff and prepping the filling for the egg rolls/spring rolls.  In the end we (he) made some awesome generals chicken, spring rolls and some of the best rice I have ever eaten (weird right, it was really good rice, I might just have to get a rice cooker too...). 

 

 

So, I will try to remember the recipes here but they most likely wont be a hundred percent accurate because 1) I can't with good conscious give out other people's family recipes without permission and 2) I forgot the recipe on the counter ;-).  So, if you have a rice cooker you just put it in there and start it (I would most likely forget this step...) and don't worry about it... (note to self, if you want to do it on the stove you will probably burn it, so don't).

 

So, in the spring rolls...

• Cabbage stuff (I think that works as a description) all sliced in little slices
• Onions, sliced in thin strips
• Carrots, shredded
• Rice noodles, soaked
• Ground chicken, cooked

Season with some soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and probably some other stuff...

 

Roll up in those little won ton things you get over by the veggies at winco (helpful, right?) and glue together with egg goodness!  Set those on a plate to the side they are ready to be fried.  Meanwhile....

 

in the Generals Chicken...

• Cut about 3 chicken breasts into approximately 1 inch cubes, completely coat in flour, I also learned that cracking an egg in there with it will make a big gooey mess to slosh your fingers around in but it will also help the flour stick to the chicken. 
• about a tablespoon of fresh ginger, sliced thin and little
• about 4 cloves of garlic sliced thin and little
• and some green onions, sliced about two inches long

In another bowl mix together the sauce that will eventually be the generals sauce...

• about 1/3 cup of chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar, we used rice vinegar, it was good :)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoonish corn starch
• some soy sauce (I think, why not, sounds good)
• and I think one other delicious thing... cant remember :-)

Mix them all together and set aside until you are ready to stir fry!

 

So, now that you have that you are ready to fry the spring rolls and the chicken, don't do them together, I can just imagine hat getting messy! So, Brandon used a fancy wok but I imagine a fry pan would work too.  this is the part I always mess up, its so not good for you but pour a whole bunch of oil into the pan and heat it up.  Enough to submerge the spring rolls you rolled.  Once the oil is hot start setting in the spring rolls with your tongs just long enough to be golden brown.  then take them out and set them on a rack or a place with paper towels to drain the grease.  Repeat as needed... when those are done start putting in your chicken, make sure the sloppy sticky pieces get separated so they all cook even and fry them until they are golden brown too.  Set them aside on a plate with some paper towels to drain.  You are now done with the oil.  In a new fry pan put a little bit of oil and saute the sliced ginger and garlic, about a minute or two is all, add your green onions.  Pour in the sauce you made which will thicken almost instantly because of the corn starch.  Dump your chicken pieces in and coat evenly. 

 

Then mow down! MMMMM

 

Special thanks to Brandon for all the deliciousness and the great company :)