Chinese chicken curry help

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 01:52

I have recently found this in my local Tesco. http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=263414246

It is immense. I am sure it's what my local Chinese use for their curries and curry sauce. just thickened to suit obviously.

However, stir fried chicken doesn't taste the same as the way they do their chicken. Their chicken is a lot softer and melts in your mouth. I am sure it is cooked in a different way. Is there a possibility that Chinese restaurants poach chicken for certain dishes?

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 02:08

Cheers. I'll poach it next time.

On a side note, do you reckon these people look like the real deal for restaurant style chinese ingredients?

http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 02:28

Hamster said:
rob, I was thinking of getting some of that Goldfish curry sauce the other day. Is getting it as thick as takeaway stuff just a case of using some of it, adding water and simmering?

I just mix the paste in a jug with boiling water from the kettle until it's a bit thinner than I want it. I then pour it into a small saucepan and bring it to the boil. Once boiled, I turn down to a simmer for a few mins. You can add a little more water or paste as required. If more paste then boil it again (it doesn't affect flavour). It's very easy.

What I like to do is make up a pan of it. Then in a wok, fry up some chicken, onion, peas and mushrooms. Once done, just pour the sauce in and leave to simmer about 15 mins to thicken up if needed.

It is exactly the same as my local chinese. Apart from the tenderness of the chicken, which as above, I will poach in future and add to the pan with the sauce.

If I can, I'll update this thread with a pic of curry made with it.

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 02:40

Hamster said:
Cheers for the tips! Really I just want it for curry sauce on its own. Not really much a fan of Chinese curry dishes but I do like their awesome MSG flavoured curry sauce which goes great with a portion of chips from the chippie next door. Will pop into Tesco this week and get some of this stuff

Will last longer if you just use it for that thick curry sauce as you wont need as much as making a big curry. Funnily enough, when I first made it, I used it with chips. Heaven! you must boil it if you add more paste though as tastes stale, raw and horrible without boiling. And indeed, the pack states 'contains MSG'

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 02:46

Sorry to keep on, but one last tip. When you pour the water from the kettle on the paste, pour it very sparingly and keep stirring. It's very easy to add too much water and you end up with chinese curry water rather than sauce.

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 02:51

I suppose so yeah. Although it's definitely not granules. It's more like a semi-dry cement.

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 16:46

Never tried this. I will though. Have a little taste test at home.

robfosters · 9 Apr 2012 at 23:42

mnemonix said:
The process is called 'velveting' and involves marinating in egg white and corn flour before partially cooking it in hot oil - the result is a very smooth, 'velvety' texture. The cooking is then finished when it is stir fried for the final dish.

Excellent. just seen someone do it on youtube and the chicken looks exactly how I want it.

Does this just work for chicken or do they do all their meats like it because the beef in their ginger and spring onion is the same. It almost has a slimy texture, which although sounding unpleasant, is actually very nice.

Any tips for chow mein? In these hard times, i'm finding it hard stumping up money to feed 5 from the chinese. Pauper that I am.

robfosters · 13 Apr 2012 at 23:20

Yeah Wing-Yip is the online store I alluded to above. Seems to do a lot of authentic stuff.

There probably all much of a muchness.