Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms is one of the common dishes from Northeast China. If you are in the south, you might as well try making it at home yourself. The method is simple, and the result doesn't have to be any worse than what you get in a restaurant.
Main ingredients: 1 jin (500g) of chicken, an appropriate amount of hazel mushrooms
Seasonings: oil, green onions, ginger, Sichuan pepper and star anise powder, dark soy sauce, MSG, salt, etc.
Instructions: 1. For the chicken, you can choose parts like chicken breast or thighs that have more meat and fewer bones, otherwise it will become stewed mushroom with chicken bones. Clean the chicken, cut it into small pieces, and place it on a plate.
2. Soak the hazel mushrooms in water for 10 minutes. This will soften them and also clean them. After taking them out, rinse them again with clean water and place them in a bowl.
3. Boil water in a pot. Once it boils, put the chicken pieces in to blanch them for 1 minute, then take them out. The purpose of blanching is to remove the gamey smell and impurities. After taking them out, rinse the chicken under cold water to wash off the foam and other residues.
4. Clean the ginger and cut it into shreds. Cut the green onions into small sections.
5. Heat oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, add the green onion sections and ginger shreds. Stir-fry until fragrant, then add the chicken pieces and stir-fry.
6. Pour in the dark soy sauce and Sichuan pepper and star anise powder, and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is evenly colored. Then add water, bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Once the soup is boiling, add the hazel mushrooms, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer slowly. After about 30 minutes, open the pot, add MSG, salt, and green onion sections. Stir evenly to fully season, and the stewed chicken with mushrooms is ready.