Chicken with Chestnuts

Name: Chicken with Chestnuts
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: boiled rice, to serve; chopped Chinese celery leaves, to garnish; 7.5 ml/1½ tsp cornflour/cornstarch; 7.5 ml/1½ tsp cornflour/cornstarch; 4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 2cm/¾in cubes; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground white or black pepper; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground white or black pepper; 15 ml/1 tbsp light soy sauce; 5 ml/1 tsp sugar; 30 ml/2 tbsp preserved red beancurd (tofu ru), mashed with a fork until smooth; 30 ml/2 tbsp preserved red beancurd (tofu ru), mashed with a fork until smooth; 30 ml/2 tbsp preserved red beancurd (tofu ru), mashed with a fork until smooth; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 15 dried chestnuts, soaked overnight, or 15 peeled cooked chestnuts; 30 ml/2 tbsp vegetable oil; 15 dried chestnuts, soaked overnight, or 15 peeled cooked chestnuts

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

China

By Terry Tan

Published 2020

About

Chestnuts really come into their own in Chinese cooking; their rustic looks belie a husky sweetness and deliciously crumbly texture. Chinese stores sell them shelled and dried. They have to be soaked or boiled until soft, but the brown membrane can be fiddly to remove, so you may prefer to use vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts.

Ingredients

15 dried chestnuts, soaked overnight, or 15 peeled cooked chestnuts
30 ml/2

Asia
China
Main course

Method

If using dried chestnuts, drain them and remove any pieces of brown membrane. Discard any chestnut that is brown or cracked. Place them in a pan, cover with water and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes, until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the garlic for 20 seconds, then add the mashed beancurd and fry for