Recipe: Moo Goo Gai Pan

The Chinese dish known as Moo Goo Gai Pan means Mushrooms (Moo Goo) Chicken (Gai) Sliced (Pan). But the acceptable convention seems to also include the addition of vegetables such as water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, celery, bok choy, snow peas, and broccoli. And while it seems commonly agreed that the sauce is composed of chicken stock and cornstarch, the flavoring agents variously include soy sauce, oyster sauce, mushroom sauce, or all three. And for a Combination Platter, add Spring Rolls and Chow Mein.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced, and par-boiled for 1 minute
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 can bamboo shoots, drained, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas
8 large white mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water

Heat oil in a large wok. Add chicken pieces and stir-fry until lightly browned. Add onions and garlic and continue stir-frying until onions are translucent. Add carrots, celery, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, snow peas and mushrooms and continue stir-frying until vegetables are just tender. Add chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce begins to thicken. Simmer for about five minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are done. Serve with steamed rice.