I often hear coeliacs complain about how they miss certain foods/cuisines – Chinese food being a recurrent theme. Remember, everything can be done gluten free with a bit of tweaking. 😉 Chinese food is no exception and can actually be very quick and easy to make, depending on the dish!
So… this is for all of you gluten free people who miss Chinese food. My boyfriend improvised this delicious dish for me yesterday (inspired by a meal he had at a Michelin starred Chinese restaurant) and honestly it turned out better than a take away, in my opinion. Not to mention, possibly a bit healthier too. After sitting around friends on friday night, watching them all eat a Chinese take away and feeling a bit sorry for myself, this was the perfect fix.
This recipe is a little more time consuming than our usual homemade Chinese meals, but it’s worth the effort. However, if pressed for time, feel free to simplify it. I’m planning to make a big batch of this sauce and freeze it in portions to save us time in the future.
Also, if you don’t have Knorr Liquid Seasoning in your cupboard yet, GET IT! 😉 I’ve never seen it sold in ‘normal’ supermarkets, but Chinese/Asian supermarkets tend to have them. If not, I’m sure it can be ordered online. It’s an excellent gluten free substitute for Maggi liquid seasoning, which I’ve come to realise is an essential ingredient to reproduce that distinctive Chinese restaurant flavour.
Now on to the recipe. (Please note that quantities are not 100% accurate as it was improvised. It may require some experimentation to make it to your taste).
Chinese pepper chicken recipe:
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 8g crushed black pepper
- Sesame oil
- 30g butter
- 120g ketchup
- 18g Knorr liquid seasoning
- 1 knorr chicken stock pot
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
- 10g sugar
- A pinch of Chinese five spice
For the stir-fry:
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into thin strips)
- 1 Whole garlic bulb (peel all garlic cloves, but keep them whole)
- 5 more garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 large onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper (cut into small strips or chunks)
- 2 spring onions (chopped into long strips)
- 1 or half a red chilli (cut into thin strips)
- 1 tin of water chestnuts
- Knorr liquid seasoning
- Sesame oil
- Cooking oil of your choice
For the egg fried rice:
- 1 cup white rice
- 1+ 3/4 cup water
- 2 eggs
- Knorr liquid seasoning
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- Sesame oil
- Cooking oil of your choice
Directions
For the sauce:
- Fry the crushed black pepper in a bit of sesame oil at medium temperature.
- Add the butter and once melted, add the rest of the ingredients (ketchup, Knorr liquid seasoning, Knorr chicken stock pot (or cube will do), fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of Chinese 5 spice).
- Cook at low temperature, continuously stirring for it not to stick, until it’s glistening and sticky (until it sticks to the back of the spoon). It’ll let out a vinegary smell, but it’ll be fine once mixed with the food. Put the sauce aside.
For the stir-fry:
- Put the cloves of a whole garlic bulb (all cloves previously peeled and washed) in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes (do not exceed 3 minutes!) and quickly cool under cold water. Put the cloves aside.
- Fry the onion chunks in a bit of oil of your choice, on medium heat, until soft and fragrant. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Fry the chicken strips on medium heat until thoroughly cooked and put them aside too.
- Fry the red pepper slices and a tin of water chestnuts (discard water content first) with a splash of knorr liquid seasoning. Don’t over fry the peppers (keep them still crunchy).
- Add the 5 finely chopped garlic cloves (not the boiled ones), add the onions back into the pan and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken strips back in, the boiled garlic cloves and spring onions and fry for 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat and add the sauce (however much you want, to taste) and add a drizzle of sesame oil.
- Garnish with fresh chopped chilli and serve.
For the egg fried rice:
- Cook the rice. To make the perfect rice, put the rice and water in a pan with a pinch of salt and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to the lowest setting until the rice has absorbed all of the water. A good way to know if the rice is ready is to give the pan a good shake on and off. When the rice stops moving when shaken, turn the heat off and let it sit for a 5-10 minutes.
- Once cooked, fry the rice in a bit of sesame oil (or cooking oil of your choice) on medium/high heat.
- Turn the temperature down to low, add 4 Tablespoons of Knorr liquid seasoning, ½ a teaspoon of ginger powder, a drizzle of sesame oil and crack 2 eggs on top. Mix well and place a lid on the pan. Shake the pan or stir on and off to prevent sticking. After a few minutes, the eggs should be fully cooked.
- Serve.
Enjoy!
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