Lemon Chicken

You’ve eaten this in Chinese restaurants. Now you can make it, too! 

Lemon Chicken:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms such as dried shitaki or black mushrooms

2 whole chicken breasts (about 2 lb. or 1 kg), boned, skinned, and sliced as ½-in. (1.27 cm) wide strips

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 c. (60 mL) canola or peanut oil, divided

2 tsp. (10 mL) peeled, finely minced fresh ginger

1 red bell pepper (“capsicum”), cut into strips

Thin strips of rind from 1-½ lemons

4 green onions, angle-sliced into 1-in. (2.54 cm) lengths

¼ c. (60 mL) sherry

1 tsp. (5 mL) granulated sugar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

1 tsp. (5 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in 1 tbsp. cold water

2 tbsp. (30 mL) lemon juice

Have all ingredients prepared and arrayed before starting. Reconstitute mushrooms as per Note. Set aside. Dust chicken with salt and pepper, sprinkling with 1 tbsp. oil. Heat remaining oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken strips. Stir-fry 2 min., tossing constantly, until cooked through. Remove from work and set aside. Stir-fry ginger, bell pepper, and mushrooms 1 min. Add lemon rind and green onions, stir-frying 1 min. longer. In small bowl, combine sherry, sugar, and soy. In second small bowl, combine starch and water. Add sherry mixture to skillet, tossing to coat. When mixture boils, stir in cornstarch mixture. Return chicken to wok, stir-frying 1 min. before sprinkling with lemon juice. Serve at once. Yields 4 servings.

Note: To rehydrate mushrooms, cover them with boiling water, allowing them to sit 25-to-30 min. Remove stems before slicing. Label and freeze mushroom stems for future use in making soup stock.