Velveting chicken makes it as moist and tender as what's served at the best Chinese restaurants. This is not my technique — I got it online. Don't limit this chicken to just Chinese dishes. The velveted chicken can then be stir-fried with vegetables and sauce or stored for a few hours in the refrigerator before cooking.
Ingredients
- egg white: 1 piece
- Chinese rice vinegar: 1 Tbsp
- cornstarch: 1 Tbsp
- kosher salt: 1 tsp
- skinless, boneless chicken breast: 1 pound (sliced)
- water: 8 cups
- peanut oil: 1 Tbsp
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Whisk together egg white, vinegar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Add sliced chicken; mix to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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Bring water and oil to a boil in a pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium.
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Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade. Add chicken to boiling water and cook until just white on the outside but not completely cooked through, about 1 minute.
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Drain chicken and finish cooking in a hot oiled wok or skillet until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, or store parboiled chicken in the refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to use, up to a few hours.
