Moo Goo Gai Pan is a Cantonese dish that's been served in Chinese restaurants pretty much ever since they appeared in the US. The name originates from the Cantonese dialect and translates directly to "mushrooms and sliced chicken." I remember this dish from my first job in a Chinese restaurant in upstate New York, and, as was the case with most Americanized Chinese dishes, the first time I ate it was on the job!
I remember the first time I saw my father prepare this dish; it was for a Polynesian Luau for three. Don't ask me why they called a three course meal consisting of Chinese dishes a Polynesian Luau, but the name apparently worked. "The Luau" was one of the most popular items on the menu. The restaurant had lines out the door on summer weekend nights, and you knew everyone was showing up for the Polynesian Luau experience. Then there was the occasional 21-ounce NY strip steak on the American side of the menu, for those in a less festive mood.
The Luau started with soup, followed by a Pu Pu platter appetizer course, and then the main dishes. A Luau for two consisted of Roast Pork Fried Rice and Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. If it was a luau for three, you were also served Moo Goo Gai Pan. Moo Goo Gai Pan was actually the perfect addition of healthy vegetables to complement the rice and shrimp and that Pu Pu platter, which usually consisted of fried treats like egg rolls.
Moo Goo Gai Pan, finished in a white sauce, is made with the large variety of white bok choy, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. The dish is definitely one of the healthiest you'll find on any Chinese restaurant menu, and it has the delicate and subtle flavors characteristic of Cantonese cooking. A Chinese "white sauce" simply means there is no soy sauce used in the dish. Instead, the dish uses chicken stock, fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions to produce an aromatic and flavorful sauce that is very easy to make at home.
I hope you enjoy this healthy Moo Goo Gai Pan. Remember, you can add pretty much any vegetable combination to this dish, using the recipe for the sauce as your foundation!
You'll need:
- 12 ounces chicken breast, sliced
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon canola oil, plus 3 tablespoons (divided)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- salt and white pepper
- 6 thin slices of fresh ginger
- 2 scallions, the white portion only, sliced at an angle into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced white or cremini mushrooms
- 1 8-ounce can straw mushrooms (rinsed in warm water and drained) (optional)
- 1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots (rinsed in warm water and drained)
- 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts (rinsed in warm water and drained)
- 4 to 5 cups of washed and drained white bok choy, cut into 1 inch by 2 inch rectangles
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup hot chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Cornstarch slurry: 1½ tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1½ tablespoons warm water
Place the chicken and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Massage the chicken with your hands until the water is absorbed by the chicken. Next, add the rest of the marinade ingredients: 1 teaspoon canola oil, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of ground white pepper. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.
Heat the wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Coat the perimeter of the wok with two tablespoons of oil, and spread the chicken in one layer around the wok. Let it sear for 20 seconds. Turn the chicken and let the other side sear for another 20 seconds. Turn the heat off, and transfer the chicken back to your marinade bowl. The chicken should be about 60% done.
Turn the burner back on to high heat, and add another tablespoon of oil, along with the ginger slices. Let the ginger infuse the oil for about 10 seconds.
Add the scallions and garlic and stir fry for another 15 seconds.
Next, add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts.
Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the bok choy.
Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another minute.
Then add the seared chicken slices and the hot chicken stock. It's important to add hot or even boiling chicken stock to keep the wok up to temperature. Most stove burners at home don't generate enough heat for a good stir-fry, so this is especially important for home cooks!
Come to think of it, every Chinese restaurant has a huge stock pot situated right next to each wok station that is constantly simmering. Its sole purpose is to provide hot, tasty stock for soups and many other dishes. So at home, do like the restaurant chefs. Make your own homemade chicken stock and heat it up before adding it to any stir-fry dishes to build and preserve that wok hay!
If you don't have time to make homemade chicken stock, then an organic chicken base (We use Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base. One jar lasts a long time in the fridge, and it's perfect whenever we find ourselves without stock in the freezer or in the pantry. We also add it to veggie stir-fries for added flavor!) will do the trick. You can also add more or less chicken stock depending on how much sauce you want in the dish.
While the mixture is coming to a boil, add about a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of white pepper, along with the sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir until well-combined. Taste the sauce with a spoon and re-season to taste.
Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, as the water and starch tend to separate, and add slowly to the wok while stirring constantly.
You can add more or less slurry, depending upon how thick you like your sauce to be.
After cooking for another minute, serve immediately with steamed rice! We added a bit of millet to our rice this time around!
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Ingredients
12 ounces chicken breast, sliced
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon canola oil, plus 3 tablespoons (divided)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt and white pepper
6 thin slices of fresh ginger
2 scallions, the white portion only, sliced at an angle into ½-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced white or cremini mushrooms
1 8-ounce can straw mushrooms (rinsed in warm water and drained) (optional)
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots (rinsed in warm water and drained)
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts (rinsed in warm water and drained)
4 to 5 cups of washed and drained white bok choy, cut into 1 inch by 2 inch rectangles
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 cup hot chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
Cornstarch slurry: 1½ tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1½ tablespoons warm water
Place the chicken and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Massage the chicken with your hands until the water is absorbed by the chicken. Next, add the rest of the marinade ingredients: 1 teaspoon canola oil, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of ground white pepper. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.
Heat the wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Coat the perimeter of the wok with two tablespoons of oil, and spread the chicken in one layer around the wok. Let it sear for 20 seconds. Turn the chicken and let the other side sear for another 20 seconds. Turn the heat off, and transfer the chicken back to your marinade bowl. The chicken should be about 60% done.
Turn the burner back on to high heat, and add another tablespoon of oil, along with the ginger slices. Let the ginger infuse the oil for about 10 seconds. Add the scallions and garlic and stir fry for another 15 seconds. Next, add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the bok choy.
Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another minute. Then add the seared chicken slices and the hot chicken stock. It's important to add hot or even boiling chicken stock to keep the wok up to temperature. Most stove burners at home don't generate enough heat for a good stir-fry, so this is especially important for home cooks!
While the mixture is coming to a boil, add about a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of white pepper, along with the sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir until well-combined. Taste the sauce with a spoon and re-season to taste.
Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, as the water and starch tend to separate, and add slowly to the wok while stirring constantly. You can add more or less slurry, depending upon how thick you like your sauce to be. After a minute, the sauce should be thickened. Serve immediately with steamed rice!
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