Chicken and broccoli is one of those meals that just brings me straight back to childhood. There was a Chinese restaurant my family and I always used to go to called Hunan Spring in Springfield, NJ. It was without a doubt the best Chinese food in the area. To start we always ordered egg rolls, scallion pancakes, and egg drop soup. The portions were, and still are, so huge that my sister, brother, and I could share one order of Chicken and Broccoli. This is my homage to Hunan Spring and while I’ll never make is quite like they do I’m beyond pleased with my at-home version.
Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1/4 cup rice wine (Mirin)
- 1 head broccoli
Marinade
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 2 tsp oil
Brown Sauce
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves grated garlic
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp agave
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp cornstrarch
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast in half, wrap in saran wrap, then use a wine bottle to pound it to 1/4”. Repeat with the second chicken breast then slice into 2” pieces.
- Mix 2 tbsp of warm water with 1 tsp of cornstarch, then add that to a large dish with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Add chicken and mix to coat. Set aside.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the broccoli stems. Chop the stem off and cut into strips. Then use your hands to break apart the crowns of the broccoli.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch broccoli for 3 minutes, strain, and set aside.
- Cook chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat, since it’s thin it will cook quickly, about 2-3 minutes a side. Once all the chicken is cooked, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of rice wine. Scrape all the brown bits in the bottom of the pan and pour the juice and bits over the chicken.
- To the same pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and the grated garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add the rest of your sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry. Bring that to a boil then mix 1/4 cup of warm water with 2 tbsp of cornstarch and whisk the slurry into the sauce. Once it’s thickened and combined add back your chicken and broccoli. Mix to coat and enjoy!
[…] that compares to Hunan Spring. Some of our favorite dishes were chicken and broccoli (see my recipe here), lo-mein, sesame chicken, scallion pancakes, and of course egg rolls. They came in 2’s but […]