Dish of Chicken with Fuzzy Melon
(click to enlarge)

Chicken with Fuzzy Melon


China / California
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 w/rice
***
1-1/2 hrs
Yes		 A simple but tasty stew. I call it "China / California" because I didn't find an exact Chinese recipe for this, and adapted a recipe for Pork Belly with Fuzzy Melon. Of course, this recipe is lower in calories.

14
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1
1
1-1/2
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2
1
-------
3/4
2
1/2
1
----
1
1
1-1/2
1-1/4
1
oz
---
t
T
T
---
T
#
---
in
T
t
t
---
T
T
T
c
t
Chicken meat (1)  
-- Marinade
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine (2)
Oyster Sauce (3)
--------
Dried Shrimp (4)
Fuzzy Melon (5)
-- Seasonings
Ginger root
Rice Wine (2)
Chili Garlic (6)
Sesame Oil
--------
Cornstarch
Water
Oil
Stock (7)
Salt
Prep   (1 hr - 45 min work)
  1. Slice CHICKEN thin and dice or chop small.
  2. Mix all Marinade items and Massage into Chicken. Set aside to marinate for 1/2 hour or more.
  3. Crush SHRIMP well. I run to powder in a spice grinder because Americans aren't accustomed to sharp pointy bits in their food.
  4. Scrape the FUZZY MELON with the back side of your prep knife to remove the very thin dark green peel. Cut lengthwise into quarters and cut into bite sized wedges with alternating diagonal cuts.
  5. Slice GINGER very thin and cut slices into thin slivers. Mix together with all Seasoning items.
  6. Mix Cornstarch and 1 T Water to make a slurry.
RUN   (30 min)
  1. In a wok or spacious sauté pan heat Oil and stir in Fuzzy Melon. Fry stirring over high heat until you see a little browning. Remove and set aside.
  2. Stir Chicken into the pan and fry stirring over high flame until it has completely lost its raw color and you see a trace of browning. Watch the fond that sticks to the pan, reddish is OK, but if it tends to chocolate, go to the next step immediately.
  3. Stir in Seasoning mix and Dried Shrimp. Continue stirring another minute.
  4. Stir in Fuzzy Melon, then Stock and Salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until Fuzzy Melon is tender. This can take from 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Stir up Cornstarch slurry and stir it in until it thickens the stew. Adjust liquid if needed.
  6. Serve hot with plenty of steamed long grain rice.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Weight is skinless and boneless. I use thigh and leg meat which has better texture and flavor than the cardboard breasts we get around here.

  2. Rice Wine:

      Use a good, drinkable Chinese rice wine, not that horrid salted "cooking" version. If you don't have this, use a Dry Sherry. Sake is made from rice but is not considered a good substitute, it's beer, not wine. For details see our Chinese Rice Wine page.

  3. Oyster Sauce:

      A standard Chinese sauce also used in Southeast Asia for dishes in the Chinese style. Quality varies widely. My current favorite is Megachef (Thai), but it isn't as widely available as Lee Kum Kee Premium, which is also very good - very Chinese looking bottle, but made in Los Angeles. Yes, these are more expensive, but for a reasons - much higher oyster content, unleaded and no melamine.

  4. Dried Shrimp:

      Measure is for whole tiny dried shrimp, or lightly crushed if larger. Easiest way to measure is to half fill a 1/4 cup measure (= 2 T).

  5. Fuzzy Melon:

      [Mo Qua] Actually a gourd, this is the immature form of the giant Ash Gourd or Winter Melon. For details see our Fuzzy Melon page.

  6. Chili Garlic Sauce:

      Huy Fong Foods (Green cap) is available nearly everywhere, and just as widely respected.

  7. Stock:

      Chicken or Pork stock will work fine.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch ar=as required tt=to taste
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