War Su Gai (Almond Boneless Chicken)

Written by
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Rhonda Parkinson
Updated 03/31/21
war su gai

ElenaGaak / Getty Images 
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

War Su Gai is a Chinese-American dish consisting of deep-fried chicken that is coated with flavorful gravy and garnished with almonds. Although not widely available, it's a specialty in Detroit, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, and no doubt a few other areas. In this version, I've used oyster sauce in the marinade to lend extra flavor to the cooked chicken.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breast halves
  • For the Marinade:
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • For the Batter:
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon green onion (finely diced)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water (or as needed to form a smooth batter)
  • For the Gravy:
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (reduced-sodium)
  • 2 ounces (1 to 1 1/4 cups) mushrooms (fresh sliced)
  • 1 stalk celery (sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with enough water to make a slurry)
  • Oil (as needed for deep-frying)
  • 2 leaves Romaine lettuce (thinly sliced, or as desired)
  • Garnish: 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or to taste)

Steps to Make It

Prep the Chicken and Marinade:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pat the chicken breast halves dry.

  3. Rub the salt, pepper and oyster sauce over the chicken. Place in the refrigerator to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.

Make the Batter:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl, stirring to make sure the baking powder is mixed in evenly.

  3. Stir in the chopped green onion.

  4. Add the egg, then enough water to make a smooth batter.

Deep-fry the Chicken:

  1. Heat the oil in a wok or electric wok to 375 F.

  2. Coat a chicken breast in the batter.

  3. Then carefully add to the deep-fry oil. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on one side, then turn over and deep-fry on the other side until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through - 10 to 15 minutes total. (You will probably need to cook the chicken in batches).

  4. Drain the deep-fried chicken on paper towels or on a tempura rack.

Make the Gravy:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Bring the chicken broth to a boil on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and chopped celery. Bring to a boil.

  3. Stir in the rice wine or sherry.

  4. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir, then pour it in and stir quickly until the sauce thickens.

  5. To serve, cut the chicken into thin slices and arrange on the lettuce. Pour the sauce over and garnish with the almonds.

  6. Enjoy!

Recipe Variation

  • Feel free to vary the vegetables, for example replacing half the mushrooms with water chestnuts.

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