Ingredients:

• Salt

• Sugar
• White pepper powder
• 1 egg

• 2 pieces of Star Anise
• Ginger
• Green onions
• Mushrooms
• Shaoxing cooking wine
• Oyster sauce
• Dark soy sauce
• Tianmianjiang /sweet wheat paste
• Corn starch
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Chicken Thighs (breast works too)
• Optional: Chicken stock
• Optional: Chicken essence granules

Cooking Steps:

Stage 1: Prep for Stir-Fry

1. Dice chicken, put in mixing bowl
2. Marinate with salt, sugar, white pepper powder, eggs, wee bit oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, corn starch, cover with a bit of oil
3. Dice mushrooms
4. Blanch diced mushrooms in slightly salted water, strain afterwards. Keep a bit of the blanching water.

Stage 2: Stir Fry

1. Heat up peanut oil until almost smoking hot
2. Place marinated chicken in, when bottom is very browned, flip and add aromatics: garlic ginger star anise and white part green onions
3. When aromatics release smell and chicken sufficiently browned, add blanched mushrooms and stir
4. Deglaze with a little bit of cooking wine
5. Immediately add a spoon of tianmianjiang (sweet wheat paste), a spoon of oyster sauce, and then a tablespoon or two of dark soy sauce
6. Add water or chicken stock to comfortably cover the chicken

Stage 3: Braise

1. Season braise with chicken essence, slight bit of white pepper
2. Braise for 20-30 minutes, topping off water if gets too low
3. When good amount of water still remains add a very weak corn starch slurry
4. Let braise for another 3-5 minutes
5. Finish with slight amount of sesame oil and bright green onion