Chicken Velvet for Soup
Preparation info
Difficulty
Medium
Appears in
Chinese Technique
By Ken Hom
Published 1981
This is a fluffy chicken mixture made from tiny bits of breast meat that disperses through the soup, imparting its fine, light texture and taste. It can be used in any light broth or delicate soup, such as Winter Melon Soup. You may make it up to 4 hours in advance and keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use it.
Ingredients
1 1 to 2 teaspoons 1 2 teaspoons 1 tablespoon
Method
- Place the breast on the cutting board inside up. (The outside surface has a thin membrane that makes it impossible to scrape.) Scrape the cleaver against the meat.
- Continue to scrape until all the meat is scraped away from the membrane into a mound.
- Start mincing the chicken, adding a splash of water, a dash of cornstarch, and a bit of the egg white.
- As the mixture spreads, scoop it back into a smaller mound with the cleaver.
- Continue to mince, scooping and adding water, cornstarch, and egg white until it forms a thick paste. The fluffed chicken can be made ahead to this stage and kept refrigerated up to 4 hours. Add the chicken velvet to hot broth just before serving.
© 1981 Ken Hom. All rights reserved.