Friday, October 16, 2009

Lean & Mean Chicken Mushroom Cakes with Mushroom Soy Sauce


Are you a breast person or a leg person?
I am totally a leg person.
I am not talking about chicken, I am talking about "chicks".
I always wanted a pair of long, slim, slender, and shapely legs in lieu of my short, stubby and chubby pair.

How about chickens? Am I into chicken breasts?
Absolutely not. I am still a leg person when it comes to chickens.
But I don't like them slender. I like them as chubby and as plump as they can be.

Sous chef, on the contrary, loves breasts (we're still talking about chickens, ya?), which is great for him as his recent diet requires everything lean and mean. This is why I've been touching and playing with one too many breasts these days.

I am not great at working with chicken breasts, it is challenging for me to make them wonderfully moist. So, these chicken cakes is definitely the easy way out for me.

Recipe
Chicken and mushroom cakes
- half pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into a few parts)
- 1 clove of garlic
- a couple sprigs of corriander (or spring onion)
- 1 cup diced fresh shitake mushrooms
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- a dash of olive oil
- light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar, black pepper

Throw everything into a food processor, and pulse until well combined into a dough. Roll dough into small balls and flatten them, place them on a plate and refrigerate until you are ready to use them. To start using, pan fry with a bit of olive oil (since my pan is non stick, I used almost no oil), brown both sides. If you are worried that the chicken might still be raw, add half a cup of water and cover the pan to let them cook through. Set aside.

Mushroom Soy Sauce
- 2 cups of fresh shitake mushrooms (sliced thin)
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, water, a bit of olive oil

Saute fresh shitake mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until wilted and a bit browned, add garlic, add sauces and a bit of water, adjust to achieve balance of salty and sweet. Add chicken cakes, mix well. Garnish with freshly chopped corriander and serve with steamed rice or noodles.

These were wonderful, but I am still a leg person.
No offense to chicken breasts, though. I think it's mainly because of my stocky legs.

11 comments:

  1. Hello! First time commenting I think, though have been enjoying your blog for quite a while.

    Just a suggestion - you could add a bit of tofu to the chicken cakes, which would help increase the moistness and texture.

    Also, you can add in a tiny bit of finely diced water chestnuts or lotus roots to give just a bit of texture and crunch!

    In Japan, these are called tsukune, and these are some ways to make tsukune interesting. Some shops even add a bit of chicken cartilage for texture but am not a big fan.

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  2. hi J, thanks for dropping by, glad to know that you're enjoying my blog :)

    thanks for the ideas of tofu and water chestnuts, i'll definitely try next time. i guess mine was the minimalist version eh?

    chicken cartilagee...waw...that's a whole different level of "i am a leg person" :p

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  3. you always make us laugh..the nominees for the foodbuzz most funny blog should have included Mochachocolata-Rita!

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  4. I prefer chicken breasts, with skin and bones on. Coz I reckon the meat there is more flavourful, albeit it's not as tender as the leg's if it's not cooked right.

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  5. First time here, I like your recipe, I'll have to give it a try. ~Diane

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  6. I'm with the sous chef, I'm a breast man too. And my girlfriend loves mushrooms. This is turning out to be a great idea!

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  7. WAHAHA. hmm.. I have to say while i love legs...breasts are for me coz they are leaner!

    Oh gosh..can't believe I'm talking abt legs and breasts although we are talking about chicken! LOL
    =)

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  8. That's a great way to serve chicken breast, thanks for sharing.

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  9. I'm all about the legs too! It's hard to keep breasts moist and juicy. Great recipe. Thanks!

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  10. yum yum! I'm a leg person too. The meat is so much more tender!

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