Easy Moo Goo Gai Pan

Making a speedy and delectable pan-fried food of chicken with Chinese vegetables is one of my most loved go-to dishes when I need something sound that includes insignificant cooking time.

As you most likely are aware, I will in general desire Asian food before some other cooking styles so I have figured out how to cook the greatest number possible home to spare a couple of bucks. Handcrafted moo goo gai container (or mugu gai skillet) is a dish both Ben and I like to make since it takes 20 minutes to make and tastes path superior to the takeout form!

It's a dish usually found in Chinese eateries however the name can be a bit of threatening on the off chance that you are not very acquainted with the menu. Here is a fast clarification on this renowned Chinese dish – based on what's in a moo goo gai container, the significance of the word and a too simple formula for you to make at home today.

WHAT IS MOO GOO GAI PAN?

Moo goo gai pan is a simple American-Chinese stir fry made with chicken (gai pin in Cantonese), mushrooms (mohgu in Cantonese) and vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. The ingredients are tossed in a classic Chinese white sauce and served with rice on the side. 

Cantonese dishes are usually milder in flavor because they use less spices and chilies. Having lived in both Hong Kong (Cantonese) and Taiwan (Szechuan), I can tell you there is a big difference in flavor between those two places. Chinese food is complex and what makes the food so great is the many different flavor combinations you get as you travel through those territories.

Traveling across Asian is an adventure for the plate!

What Does Moo Goo Gai Pan Mean?

As I mentioned above, the name is pretty much taken from two ingredients – chicken and mushrooms. The literal translation for mòh-gū gāi-pin is sliced chicken with button mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS FOR MOO GOO GAI PAN

·        Oil: peanut oil is what’s most often used in Asian cooking but you can use vegetable oil as well since it’s neutral in flavor.

·        Chicken: I’m using boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can use other parts of a chicken and keep the skin if you enjoy the texture, and bones if you like sucking on them.

·        Garlic: garlic is essential to Chinese cooking and is used in most stir fry to flavor the oil.

·        Mushrooms: Again, you can use other types of mushrooms such as shiitake or wood ear. I’m using white button mushrooms because they are easy to find.

·        Snow Peas: I prefer snow peas over sugar snap peas because of their softer texture, but you can swap one for the other.

·        Canned bamboo Shoots: salty and savory, canned bamboo shoots are also a little crunchy and meaty in texture.

·        Water Chestnuts: if bamboo shoots and snow peas are crunchy, water chestnuts are super duper crunchy! They are also high in water content which makes taking a bite from a piece, quite refreshing!

·        Cornstarch: Cornstarch is essential to thickening the sauce and give it that gooey texture we’ve come to associate with Chinese food.

·        Ground White Pepper: this adds a fruity and floral kick that tickles the nose.

·        Marinade Sauce: whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch to infuse extra flavor to your chicken.

·        Moo Goo Gai Pan Sauce: whisk the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil for a quick stir fry sauce.

HOW TO MAKE MOO GOO GAI PAN

1. Marinate the chicken: Whisk all the ingredients for the chicken marinade in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cook the chicken: Place the chicken in a pan over medium high heat and saute until it’s cooked through. Transfer the chicken on a plate.

3. Add the vegetables: Add the garlic, mushrooms and snow peas, and cook for 5 minutes. Add bamboo shoots, chestnuts and chicken and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Combine the flavor: Stir in the sauce and add the cornstarch and water mixture. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

5. Serve: Serve with white rice and season with a little salt and white ground pepper if needed.

Got leftovers? Store them in an airtight storage container and keep it in the fridge. The stir fry should keep for 3-4 days.

MOO GOO GAI PAN SAUCE

In order to make a watery sauce gooey, mix a little corn starch with cold water. Stir and pour into the sauce as it is bubbling and that’s it! The sauce will thicken immediately and be ready to serve.

It’s the same concept for all sauces. Chinese white sauce, mapo tofu, general Tso and moo goo gai pan sauce all have one ingredient in common – corn starch.

The only downside to gooey sauce is that the consistency doesn’t last. I’m sure you’ve experienced ordering Chinese food and finding breaded chicken pieces sadly sitting in a watery sweet sauce the next day. That’s because corn starch can only retain its consistency for about an hour at most.

What I usually do when something like this happens is throw the leftovers in a pan and stir in a little corn starch (once the ingredients are hot) to bring back the consistency. It works most of the time but there have been dishes that I wasn’t able to save that way. 80% success, 20% fail I would say.

HOW TO VELVET CHICKEN

One of the great cooking techniques China has brought over to America is velveting.

Velveting is basically coating or marinating chicken or meat in a mixture of corn starch, sauce and/or egg white. What velveting does is create a barrier from the heat when the chicken cooks, leaving it super moist and silky.

For this recipe I’m marinating the chicken in a mixture of rice vinegar, soy sauce and corn starch. I’m letting the chicken marinate for 20 minutes but I recommend leaving it for longer if you have the time. 30-40 minutes yields super moist chicken pieces.

MOO GOO SHRIMP

To make moo goo shrimp, simply swap the chicken for large shrimp that have been thawed and deveined. The cooking time will vary slightly since it takes shrimp less time to cook. You can velvet shrimp as well, it will give them a much nicer texture!