Almond chicken

Last updated
Almond chicken
Almond chicken from Panda Express 2.jpg
Fried almond chicken from Panda Express
CourseMain course
Region or stateDetroit, Michigan or Columbus, Ohio
Associated cuisine American Chinese food
Main ingredientsChicken, almonds

Almond chicken is an American Chinese dish. The most common variations involve either stir-frying or deep-frying chicken and topping it with almonds.

Contents

Preparation

Almond chicken stir fry Chicken and almonds stir fry.jpg
Almond chicken stir fry

Some variations of almond chicken are prepared in a similar manner to cashew chicken, by stir-frying chicken with almonds and vegetables. [1] [2] This variation is found in the 1917 Chinese Cook Book by Shiu Wong Chan, which calls for stir-frying chicken with onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and celery before coating with "Chinese gravy" and topping with almonds. [3] This is one of the oldest recipes for the dish. [4]

Other versions of the dish are prepared by battering chicken and coating it with almonds before frying. [5] [6]

Almond boneless chicken

Almond boneless chicken or war sui gai, a variation popular in Michigan, features sliced chicken which is deep-fried twice. [7] It is then topped with mushroom gravy and sliced almonds and served on a bed of iceberg lettuce. [8] [9] The dish is strongly associated with Detroit, [10] but is also commonly served in Ohio and parts of Eastern Canada. [4]

The origins of almond boneless chicken are unknown, although it was likely developed by Chinese immigrants from Guangdong. [11] It may have originated in Detroit, Michigan [1] or Columbus, Ohio [12] and was historically associated with chop suey houses. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 Frederick, Missy (2018-10-30). "Almond Boneless Chicken Is a Chinese-American Cult Favorite". Eater. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  2. ↑ "Adam Liaw's Chinese almond chicken". Good Food. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  3. ↑ Chan, Shiu Wong (1917). The Chinese Cook Book. Frederick A. Stokes Company. p. 35. ISBN   978-0-598-76710-3.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  4. 1 2 Service, Taste News. "The Mystery of Almond Boneless Chicken - Taste California Travel". www.tastecaliforniatravel.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  5. ↑ Looking for Asian America: An Ethnocentric Tour by Wing Young Huie ; [the Exhibition "Nine Month in America, an Ethnocentric Tour by Wing Young Huie" Premiered at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, April 17 - August 1, 2004. This Book is an Extension of the Exhibition, which Included More Than One Hundred Photographs]. U of Minnesota Press. 2007. ISBN   978-1-4529-1356-8.
  6. ↑ "Panda Express Is Introducing an All-New Chicken Dish". Thrillist. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  7. ↑ Kwong, Helen (2016-07-19). "A Taste of Home". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  8. ↑ "Almond boneless chicken, exhibit ABC of Chinese-American idiosyncrasy". Gourmandistan. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  9. ↑ Jackman, Michael. "The ABCs of almond boneless chicken". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  10. 1 2 "Test Kitchen recipe: Almond Boneless Chicken". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  11. ↑ "The ABCs of Michigan almond boneless chicken - American Food Roots". American Food Roots. 2014-10-29. Archived from the original on 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  12. ↑ Yan, Nancy (2013-06-01). "Wor Sue Gai and Claiming Local Identity: SUE SAMUELSON AWARD FOR FOODWAYS SCHOLARSHIP SECOND PLACE". Digest: A Journal of Foodways and Culture. 2 (1). ISSN   2329-4787.
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