War Su Gai (Almond Boneless Chicken)
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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:
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Gather the ingredients.
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Pat the chicken breast halves dry.
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Rub the salt, pepper and oyster sauce over the chicken. Place in the refrigerator to marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
Make the Batter:
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Gather the ingredients.
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Combine the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl, stirring to make sure the baking powder is mixed in evenly.
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Stir in the chopped green onion.
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Add the egg, then enough water to make a smooth batter.
Deep-fry the Chicken:
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Heat the oil in a wok or electric wok to 375 F.
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Coat a chicken breast in the batter.
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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).
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Drain the deep-fried chicken on paper towels or on a tempura rack.
Make the Gravy:
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Gather the ingredients.
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Bring the chicken broth to a boil on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and chopped celery. Bring to a boil.
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Stir in the rice wine or sherry.
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Give the cornstarch slurry a quick re-stir, then pour it in and stir quickly until the sauce thickens.
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To serve, cut the chicken into thin slices and arrange on the lettuce. Pour the sauce over and garnish with the almonds.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Variation
- Feel free to vary the vegetables, for example replacing half the mushrooms with water chestnuts.