Almond chicken
 Fried almond chicken from Panda Express | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Michigan, Detroit, Michigan |
| Associated cuisine | American Chinese food |
| Main ingredients | Chicken, 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.
Preparation
[edit]
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
[edit]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] and was historically associated with chop suey houses.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Frederick, Missy (2018-10-30). "Almond Boneless Chicken Is a Chinese-American Cult Favorite". Eater. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Adam Liaw's Chinese almond chicken". Good Food. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ Chan, Shiu Wong (1917). The Chinese Cook Book. Frederick A. Stokes Company. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-598-76710-3.
- ^ a b Service, Taste News. "The Mystery of Almond Boneless Chicken - Taste California Travel". www.tastecaliforniatravel.com. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Panda Express Is Introducing an All-New Chicken Dish". Thrillist. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ Kwong, Helen (2016-07-19). "A Taste of Home". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Almond boneless chicken, exhibit ABC of Chinese-American idiosyncrasy". Gourmandistan. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ Jackman, Michael. "The ABCs of almond boneless chicken". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ a b "Test Kitchen recipe: Almond Boneless Chicken". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "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.