Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Simmered Chinese Chicken--Friday Friend Recipe #7


Number 7 in my long, long list of FF recipes. (sigh).  Why did I decide to do this again?  Oh yes, because the Handyman said I couldn't.  Silly Handyman!

This recipe was sent in by my oldest friend, Theda.  We've been friends since Jr. High School.   She likes to correct me and tell me that  we only 'knew' each other in Jr. High,  we didn't really become friends until High School.
I stand corrected.
(but I will always say since Jr. High, given the fact that it was destiny we'd be friends  forever.)
Theda is the one who taught me about the birds and the bees.  Sorry mom, but your  talk didn't cut it for me.
  Seriously. 
 It wasn't until Theda showed me with a tennis shoe and a Kleenex box that I 'got it'.   (you'll have to use your mind to picture it)
We were 15.  I'm not sure either of us  'got it.' (it was the  early 70's.  Still naive at 15 back then---seems impossible in this day and age)
(sigh)
Sorry if that story is too graphic for you.
I apologize.



Getting back to the chicken.
So good!  So moist!  So tasty! 
It is really good.
I really do love this chicken.
I made it on Friday night for our Friday Night Friends.  Everyone liked it, for the reasons I mentioned above--moist and  tasty. 
You do have to like Asian flavors tho.  You could probably add some minced ginger too.

This photo below is really showing off the blue rice bowl.
I got the rice bowls from my mom.  She used them when I was growing up.  We had our rice in them every time we had rice--once a week or so. 
  I love them! They remind me of my childhood.
It makes me sad tho, that my boys have no frame of reference for them.  They don't love them.   They never used them growing up.
What will happen to them when I die? 
What if no one loves them?  
One of my daughter-in-laws perhaps?




Simmered Chinese Chicken
Brown 1 whole chicken in 1 T. oil

Mix the following:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 T. Ketchup
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove--pressed
1 green onion--sliced  

Pour this over the chicken, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is done  (the first time I made this, I put it in the oven to roast).
Remove the chicken to a platter, draining juices back into the pan.

Blend the following:
2 T. corn starch
1 T. water
1 t. water
1 t. toasted sesame seeds

Stir into sauce. Cook, stirring constantly till thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Slice chicken and serve with remaining sauce.


More pics of the rice bowls I love! My dad brought them back from Japan or Okinawa  from when he was in the Marine Corp. 
One of them has a couple little chips...the one with the bird.  That one is a bit lopsided too.








and now I give you...  
FF Theda Pansevicius ---and her husband John.   
In Jr High,  her last name was 'Larson'.  Much easier to spell. 
(here they are at their daughter's wedding)


3 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Ah, things were so much more innocent back then weren't they? I love your bowls and feel the same way about some of the things I own. No one will treasure them when I'm gone and Vance will probably sell them for a quarter at a garage sale. Anyway, the chicken sounds delicious!

Tina said...

What a wonderful recipe. I really like that you are cooking through your cookbook with recipes from friends. Very cool idea and so far, each one has been a winner. Keep on track!

Karen said...

Bhaha... a tennis shoe and kleenex box!

Friday Friend recipe #352

  Making my way thru my  Friday Friend Cookbook , one recipe at a time. What is the Friday Friend cookbook?  I once had about 50 of my close...