A vegetable stir-fry recipe that brings together tender chicken, juicy shrimp, and vegetables all smothered in a flavorful sauce. The vegetables are tender yet still crisp. The secret? Parboiling - a technique where vegetables are partially cooked before being stir-fried in chop suey sauce.
Place chicken in a bowl. Sprinkle baking soda over the pieces. Gently toss to ensure an even coating. Let it rest for 12 minutes (note). Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients – slice the vegetables, measure out the sauce ingredients etc.
After the resting time, rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Pat dry chicken with a paper towel. Set aside.
Make the sauce
Combine all the ingredients of the sauce in a bowl. Stir until cornstarch is incorporated into the other ingredients. You can taste test see if more soy sauce is needed. Set aside.
Parboil the vegetables
Fill a pot with water just enough to submerge the vegetables. Alternatively, you can also use the same wok or a large skillet you'll be using for the stir-fry.
Add salt and bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, cauliflower florets, and baby corn. Cook for 1 minute. Add sliced carrots and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. The goal is to partially cook them. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander. Set aside.
Stir-fry
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add chicken and cook for 1 minute or until no longer pink.
Add shrimp, and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for another minute. Add bell peppers, cabbage, and snow peas. Continue cooking until slightly softened, around 2 minutes.
Quickly stir the prepared sauce and pour into the skillet. Add the blanched vegetables. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens, coating all the vegetables. Do not overcook, aim for a crisp-tender texture. Do a taste test. Season with ground black pepper and or salt, as needed.
Remove from heat and quickly serve over rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Tenderize chicken - a Chinese cooking technique called "velveting". It enhances the chicken's texture, making it tender and velvety, and helps it cook evenly and quickly during the stir-fry process. Feel free to skip this step if you prefer.
Light soy sauce - also known as "thin" or light-colored soy sauce. Opting for light soy sauce retains the vibrant color of the vegetables. Note that light soy sauce is usually "saltier" than regular soy sauce. It is not the same with low-sodium soy sauce. If using regular soy sauce, use Kikkoman and start with 1 tablespoon. Add more based on preference.
Shaoxing wine - also known as Chinese cooking wine. Skip if not available.
Chicken stock - or 1/2 piece of low sodium chicken bouillon/stock powder dissolved in hot water. Use low sodium as soy sauce and oyster sauce already has enough salt. If not available use 1/4 piece of regular chicken bouillon.
Baby corn - No need to parboil if you're using canned baby corn. Simply stir-fry it along with the tender vegetables.
Extra saucy chop suey- increase chicken stock up to 1 1/2 cups, cornstarch to 2 tbsp, add more soy sauce and oyster sauce based on taste preference.