VELVET. YOUR. CHICKEN.

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velvet is fabric and chicken is dinosaur

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When moisture is added to raw chicken strips and then sealed in with a protective flour coating, it gives it that chewy/tender-smooth mouth feel. Follow this technique to prepare chicken for stir fries or other meals that require tender and smooth meat. This technique can also be used on red meats.

Pick your chicken based on what you like. Thighs or breasts will both work. Thighs will add more fat and flavor to the meal; breasts will soak up flavors and dry out if overcooked. Velvetting will help any meat retain moisture.

Remember, if you stir fry, you will be cooking the chicken twice (once to sear, then once mixed in with the other ingredients), so take that into account when choosing lean meat over fattier cuts. Lean meat will dry out and toughen faster. Boneless/skinless chicken breasts require a more gentle hand than the fattier thighs.

Raw chicken, left, and cooked chicken after velvetting.

How to Velvet Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12-16 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs

• 2-3 Tb water

• 2 tsp soy sauce, choice

• 1 tsp oyster or fish sauce (optional)

• 2 tsp cornstarch, unbleached white flour, or Wondra (choice based on pantry)

• 2 tsp vegetable oil, choice (algae/avocado/peanut/etc.)

Instructions

1. Slice chicken breast against the muscle grain into 1.5 - 2 inch pieces about 1/4 inch thick.

2. In a glass bowl, combine chicken, water, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Mix until chicken is well-coated, set aside for 5-10 minutes. The chicken will absorb most of the water while it sits.

3. Add the cornstarch (or flour) and vegetable oil to the bowl. Mix again until the chicken is well coated and there are no starch lumps. Allow to sit an additional 15-20 minutes to marinate. (Note: If not using immediately, this is the time to cover and refrigerate the chicken strips. Just be sure to return them to room temperature before cooking)

4. Place a wok or large steel pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add a little vegetable oil and tip the pan to coat uniformly. Add the chicken in a single layer. Allow to sear for 20-30 seconds. If the pan was hot enough, they should not stick. If they do, toss a little water in the pan and shake gently to loosen them. Stir fry the chicken until just opaque, then remove from the pan and keep warm with foil cover.

5. Add your choice of vegetables to the pan and pour over 1/2 cup water and 1 Tb soy sauce. Cover the pan for 3-4 minutes. Remove cover and stir fry, frequently moving vegetables around the pan, until liquid has almost evaporated.

6. Return chicken to pan and combine with vegetables, continuing to mix and move around pan.

7. Sample the vegetables and chicken, adding more soy sauce to taste. Remember, plan on diners adding more seasoning. Serve over brown rice, whole grain noodles, or top with a cooked egg for even more nutrition.

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~(Secret tip: mix some of the cooked liquid from your pan in with each plate of rice before topping with the mixture. It will be more pleasant to bite into a seasoned bit of rice than a big hunk of starch)~

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Leftovers Note: store your cooked grains/noodles separate from your chicken and vegetables. It will give the leftovers more flexibility.