Here is the written out recipe for anyone who is interested. Chicken: 1lb of chicken thigh or breast (Cut into Stir Fry sized pieces) 1.5 tsp of corn starch 1/2 tsp of baking soda 2 tsp of sugar 1/2 tsp of kosher salt 1 tsp of Shaoxing wine 1 tsp of light soy sauce 1 egg white Mix vigorously and let stand for at least 15 mins Vegetables 1 onion 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper 10oz can of pineapple (Save liquid for sauce) Large dice the onion, green, red bell peppers, and pineapple (place pineapple is separate bowl) Aromatics: 4 cloves of garlic 1/2 finger of ginger Crush in mortar and pestle. Sauce: Pineapple juice from 10oz can 3tbls of ketchup 2tbls of white vinegar 1tbls plus 1/2 tsp of sugar 1 tsp of soy sauce splash of shaoxing wine 2 tsp of corn strach Whisk to combine Velveting the chicken: Bring 1qt of water to a simmer in wok. Once simmering add chicken one piece at a time. Cook for 30-60 Seconds. Remove to sheet tray in a single layer to dry. Stir Fry: Clean wok from velveting, dry the wok and place it back on the heat. Add a tiny amount of oil and rub into wok, once smoking the wok is preheated. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat wok. Add onion and the green and red bell peppers, until tender crisp Push to one side, add a little more oil and add aromatics. Mix and let stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add chicken, pineapple, some cashews (cashews optional) and the sauce Let cook a little bit until desired thickness is reached.
Remember Home Economics as part of the public school curriculum? It's been missing now about 25 years, and does it ever show. Every kid should know that subject, just like personal financial literacy.
@@HiVizCamoit's not there, like most important curriculum is that dumb people don't question, dumb people are much easier to deceive, grift, swindle and recruit by those higher up on the food chain. It's a fact.
I broke down the calories in this. I did not add the sugar though so if you do, you will have to add that to your calculation. Everything together is estimated to be 1,227 calories. If you made 4 servings out of it the estimate calories would be around 306. Hope this helps people trying to watch their calories but, still want to eat yummy food! Calculation is w/o the cashews as well.
Same!! I also was like, was this recorded on a hot summer day? Well, we are in HIS kitchen. So whatever Kenji! The stoves hot... so be careful! Then I saw the shorts. Glad others caught that too! Silly!
I love how many recipes Kenji adds or removes ingredients from just because that's how his wife and daughter like it a certain way (and because he likes it that way too). It's great to be able to follow a recipe, but it's more important to end up with something that everybody enjoys.
Not to mention using alternate ingredients based on what you have. He does a great job at this which teachers me what you can use instead or someone skip and still end up with an awesome meal.
Have you guys heard about the theory that Heinz ketchup has created the endgame of the ketchup industry? Basically the idea is that Heinz has become so dominant and ubiquitous, that now when people want ketchup, the flavour they’re actually thinking about is Heinz specifically, and so the market now judges all ketchups based on their similarity to Heinz. There are no other popular styles of tomato ketchup. If you’re a rival condiment producer, you cannot use the name “tomato ketchup” and make something different from Heinz and expect to find any real success against Heinz; the only way to compete with Heinz is to try and make Heinz.
Aside from the (probably) delicious recipe: it's always a pleasure to see a true professional at work. Every movement is deliberate, nothing is unnecessary. That's why you are so much faster than a beginner like me and learning this by watching you (almost) without cuts is great. Love your content!
Dude imagining your 3 y/o walking around picking out groceries and then paying for them has made my day hahah that’s pretty impressive. I was a talking potato when I was 3
One of the things I like the most about your videos, Kenji, is that you always mention how you're cooking for the family meals. That implies you actually eat together as a family every day, which is heartwarming to know that some folks still do. I haven't eaten a meal together with my family in many, many moons (I live with family and we already eat apart, even if we cook together).
If you haven't tried it yet, it can be a game changer. I've learned not to let it go too long, and I don't think a wok is vital, based on my experience, at least.
Weirdly, I have always quick boiled my chicken when I wok. I saw something like that in a restaurant in college, and now I know that wasn't the whole process. Even without the coating, it makes your chicken soft and moist and people are always impressed when they eat it. Who knew?
The technique I learned to chop bell peppers (had to cut brunoise) is to lop the top and bottom off, (as you would to filet an orange), cut down one side of the barrel to flatten, run my knife across to remove the membranes and then you have a flat surface which is easy to cut with precision, and you can use the top and bottom as well, so no waste, and when you have a lot to prep, quicker. When its a bigger dice like here, of course it doesn't matter so much, but I kinda got in the habit of doing it like that.
Never heard of this velvetting technique by passing it through water. I'm gonna have to try it. Home cooking just got a lot easier because I don't have to fuss with the oil as much.
The Recipe (they will still buy your book Kenji) 😝 Sweet And Sour Chicken- Kenji Ingredients • 1 lb Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless (or chicken breast, or pork tenderloin) cut up into bite size pieces • FOR SAUCE: • 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda • 2 tsp Sugar • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, or dry Sherry, or white wine • 1 tsp Lite soy sauce • 1 Egg Whites • VEGGIES: • 1/2 Large onion • 1 Green Bell Peppers, bite size • 1 Red Bell Peppers, bite size • AROMATICS • 4 Garlic Cloves • 1 Chunk ginger, thumb size • SAUCE: • 10 oz Canned Pineapple, save juice! • 3 Tbsp Catsup • 2 Tbsp White Vinegar • 1 Tbsp Sugar • 1 tsp Soy Sauce • 1 Splash of shaoxing wine • 2 tsp Corn Starch • OTHER: • Whole Cashews, toast them? Preparation Steps 1. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces 2. Cut veggies into bite size pieces 3. Crush aromatics in mortar and pestle 4. Make sauce 5. Bring a couple cups of water (or oil) to boil in wok 6. Then pass the chicken through the water (or oil) for 30 seconds to a minute, then speed meat out to dry. 7. Rinse wok, dry and put back on high heat (add thin film of oil to get the smoke test) 8. Add veggies to smoking hot wok and let them char 9. Add aromatics for 30 to 60 seconds 10. Add everything else
Chinese-American Sweet and Sour Chicken (from Chris Chung) Mix and Massage: 1 lb. chicken thigh, breast, or pork tenderloin (cut up for stir fry into thin planks) 1-1/2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour) 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp white sugar 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or white wine) 1 tsp regular soy sauce 1 egg white Let hang out 15 minutes. Prep veg for stir-fry (large dice): 1/2 medium onion (or 1 small) 1 green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper Put some cashews in a prep bowl. Prep aromatics in a mortar and pestle: 4 cloves of garlic this much ginger, peeled with a spoon Prep sauce. Whisk cold: Half of a 20 ounce can of sliced (and cut into sixths) or diced pineapple in its own juice 3 Tbsp catsup 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp or a little more sugar 1 tsp regular soy sauce Splash of Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry or white wine) 2 tsp cornstarch (cornflour) (10:00 in video.) Velvet chicken in a qt of boiling water in a wok by slowly lowering the meat in and stirring a bit for 30-60 seconds. Or just try to wait until it comes to a simmer, but change your mind. Remove chicken, rinse wok, put back on the heat, dry out the wok, put a little film of oil in the wok. Meanwhile, spread the chicken out to dry off a bit. When the wok is smoking hot, add the right amount of oil and swirl. Stir-fry the veg until tender and there's a little char on the outside. Push to side and add aromatics. Stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add everything else--chicken, pineapple, cashews, and sauce. Let it cook a tiny bit until it's as thick as you want it. Can make spicy by adding red pepper flakes. Serve with chili oil on the side for the non spicy-adverse. Make sure you serve on a large enough plate.
I coincidentally just pulled some chicken out of the freezer ... had other plans with it ... anyway ... improvise, adapt, overcome ... sweet and sour it is!!
Making kids help around the kitchen is the best thing ever. When my niece is around I usually hand over my boiled taters and the handle side of a spoon to cut it into appropriate pieces. Coz kids love doing what we do. That's why kids love playing with cars and motor bikes. Coz it's the parent/adult thing. It's how kids learn! I love what Kenji is doing
Things I've learn from Kenji: 1) Clean as you go.... 2) Don't get distracted.....don't walk away 3) Torching Lo Mein noddles etc for that smoky wok flavor total game changer 4)Less is actually more..... my lady says I cook like a drug addict I find a spice or flavor I like and I totally over do it!...... LOL...she's right! Thanx Kenji....you can teach an old dawg a new trick!
I just made this and it was a resounding success, everyone loved it and I’ll try it in pork next time. Two little differences in my method, I added sliced and patted dry water chestnut and roasted my cashews first. Will become part of my rotation.
i have watched so many cook shows and youtube stuff. but kenji just can cook whatever the fuck he wants and i enjoy the hell out of it. could listen to you while you cook stuff all day every day man.
I saw this video shortly after it was released and it has become my go to sweet and sour sauce recipe. The best sweet and sour chicken dish I've ever had was in Sacramento in '99. I was barely twenty-one years old, and the only sweet and sour sauce I knew (as a kid growing up on the east coast of Canada) was the red stuff that came in a styrofoam container. Imagine my surprise when I ordered what I thought was a known, comfortable dish, but instead of deep fried chicken balls with a syrupy red sauce I got actual pieces of chicken covered in chunks of pineapple! I am sure my recollection is clouded by youth and the excitement of something new. Still this dish brings back fond memories. Thanks for that!
That was a lof of volume you put in the wok, but you maintained the sizzle throughout the cook. On my stove I would've definitely lost that sizzle already halfway through. I hope your new Wok book explains all the mysterious science behind professional wok cooking. Excited, cant wait
Really fabulous version of sweet & sour. I used pork tenderloin and I was not sure about using a boiling velveting process but it worked great!! Thanks for the great recipe Kenji!
Hey Kenji,this recipe looks superb. And as a friendly suggestion, I would love to see you make some Cajun and/or Indian inspired sliders.👍 God Bless ❤️
I always learn something new from these videos. Boiling the chicken this way is a new one. Wouldn't have believed boiling it for such a short amount of time would cook it properly.
Just a dad moment, I did the same thing with my kids ( a little later than your daughter lol) teaching them young to perform transactions for basic life operations (like Eating/shopping) is important. I 'm looking forward to trying this recipe too!
Great recipe. I switch out the canned pineapple with canned lychee (Arroy-D) and it tasted great (and obviously different). Love the concept of velveting and flavor profile and less messy than traditional sweet and sou (deep fried and sauced)
I used water tonight to pass through some steak I was stir-frying, It was perfect! Ill be using water from now on, it came out better than if I used oil and was 100x easier to clean up. Keep droppin these knowledge gems on us Kenji your making me a better home cook.
In 1989, we went on a tour to Suzhou along with a couple from Singapore. They teased us saying that there was not very appealing sweet and sour chicken or pork at every meal was because we were American. At the final dinner it was actually fantastic: crunchy pork bits, fresh pineapple, and peppers with heat. It was sublime.
I pre-ordered and am SO excited to get Kenji's book! One thing I'm a little confused about is when to velvet vs. marinade vs wash meats. Kenji' uses all these methods in different recipes, and I'm curious how he chooses which way to go. Anyway, thanks to Mr. Lopez-Alt! For all the shared knowledge and inspiration!!!
No criticism intended, but my ex, who was from Guangzhou, used to put the aromatics in first, for about 10 seconds, to flavor the oil. Then they get scraped out and re-added later along with everything. I really don't know if that matters! It looks great and very colorful. Yer gonna need a bigger boat, though.
I typically cook a lot of Japanese food and modded your recipe for this using brown rice vinegar and mirin instead of vinegar and Shaoxing wine. Had to up the brown rice vinegar to make it sour. Worked very well. Thanks for teaching me velveting. Love your vids thanks man. PS I already bought your wok book. Can’t wait for it to be released!
Try nipping off the stem and standing them on the stem side -- it's flatter and the pepper won't flop over. Much safer to filet the sides off that way.
LBH, I had Food Lab before I really knew who you were and started watching your channel. I purchased your kids book with the Kan knives (which hopefully arrives before Christmas bc I’m going to give it to my niece) within minutes of watching the vid you posted about them. Clearly I’m going to buy your next cookbook, especially since you’ve taught me how to cook with a wok during this quarantine and I’ve really become comfortable with it in the past two weeks. Your video style and Food Lab have made me a more confident and, more importantly, efficient home cook. Also I would’ve bought your salt cellar had I known you were making one before I spent a bunch on money on Etsy for a similar box made of Koa wood in Hawaii to repurpose it as a saltcellar because I couldn’t find anything in that style, but it fits me being half Japanese-Hawaiian.
Finally got around to making it, using Babish's wok that Kenji spoke well of, and was not disappointed. Strange foaming action if you let the chicken boil too long, but caught it before it overflowed, and it was still delicious.
We're going to need a bigger plate - I got that reference! I love that story about your daughter, those kind of activities will make her confident and independent
I made this last night with more chicken because I was cooking for more people. I was surprised how fast it got up to temp. I used 1.5lbs of chicken breast and checked the temp a few seconds after a 1min timer went off. By about 1 min 20 sec the pieces I checked were about 160 F so 1 min definitely seems reasonable Edit: Did it again, after one minute 1.3lbs were done!
Thank you for this video. I made this tonite. We didn’t have pineapple so I subbed in orange juice and water chestnuts. The silking of the chicken is a revelation - thank you! I fried the veggies then cleaned out the pan and fried the chicken before adding the veggies and sauce back in. Anyway, great recipe - thank you!
I loved this as a kid seeing all the sugar in to O know why now. Thanks for the recipe! I always velvet my chicken but never heard of boiling it to cook I just stir fried it because I too wasn’t going to do the oil pass through. This was great thanks.
This is such a good video! I learned something new today honestly. Velveting, who would have ever thought! You’re not only making delicious food but you’re showing chef techniques to the average home cook, thank you for that!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! It’s awesome how creators like you can post recipes for free. I doubled it and it was the perfect amount for 6 people.
Love the video - ive always had the fried version others have referred to. But think looks like healthy alternative. Thanks for doing so much wok cooking!! It’s strange I feel like there isn’t a lot out there on Chinese American cooking - so thank you!
Being a cook, I relate a lot when you used that onion scrapy part as a bench scraper. Also, I like to use a Microplane for my garlic and ginger at home, nice alternative I found.
I like the velvetting in theory, but I have a hard time knowing if the chicken is done or not when I add it to the stir fry. My wife likes "overdone" chicken and won't eat it if she thinks it may be anywhere close to ~165 or less.
When adding the chicken back to the wok with the veggies, hold off on everything else, get the chicken up to temp, then add the pineapple and sauce, that's what I did. Over done chicken is tough, but underdone, well we all know what happens. :O=
Hey Kenji, I was wondering if you could do a video on, or tell us your thoughts on vacuum marination? Does it actually work or is it just a gimmick? I have read that it makes no difference with consumer grade equipment and in my own experience, while it definitely marinates effectively, I cant say that it is any better than marinating in a vessel at atmosphere. Thanks!
Just made this tonight although running to the store for one green bell pepper was a bummer 😅 this was the first time I tried "velveting" and it came out delicious 👍. Thank you Kenji.
8:44: Thank you! People always assume I'm a food noob because I insist Heinz is perfect and the fancy stuff tastes like thick tomato water. (Perhaps you were involved with an old America's Test Kitchen recipe for shrimp cocktail that mentions the same thing when discussing the cocktail sauce.)
I bet Gordon Ramsay doesn't even have this much of knowledge. Kenji is full of knowledge and an asset to culinary. Thanks for all the wonderful contents.
