Two-ingredient hack will make your chicken dinner taste like a Chinese takeaway
With finances becoming increasingly strained and the cost of ordering a takeaway seemingly skyrocketing, many of us have resorted to recreating our favourite takeaway dishes at home on Friday and Saturday nights. However, despite our best attempts, it often feels nearly impossible to mimic the flavours and textures of that bowl of chow mein, the crispy salt and pepper chicken, or a classic beef and black bean sauce.
But there's a secret technique used by Chinese restaurants that can be easily replicated at home, finally giving your chicken, beef or pork that authentic taste. Even better, it only requires three staple ingredients.
This method, known as velveting in Chinese cooking, is the reason why those little strips of meat are always so tender they melt in your mouth. It doesn't require any fancy equipment or pricey ingredients - all you need is cornflour and egg white.
For an added flavour boost, a dash of soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil and a sprinkling of salt can all enhance the overall taste. But to achieve that texture, all it needs is a soak in the mixture and a bit of patience, reports the Express.
The concept behind the marinade is that when it comes to frying, the starch mixture cooks quickly and forms a protective coating that shields against the direct heat of the pan.
This locks in the meat's natural juices and creates that super soft bite that seems impossible to replicate. Kikkoman's culinary gurus have dubbed the technique: "A Chinese method of marinating that keeps delicate meat and seafood moist and tender during cooking."
This method shines when applied to chicken, but it's versatile enough for almost any protein, including beef, pork, turkey, and even prawns, scallops or tofu. The recipe is a doddle too. Just whisk one lightly beaten egg white with about two teaspoons of cornflour in a bowl.
Feel free to splash in some soy sauce or toss in other seasonings to your taste. Whisk until you achieve a smooth, runny consistency. Then, slice your chosen meat into thin strips, roughly half a centimetre thick, cutting across the grain for best results.
After slicing, immerse the meat in the mixture, ensuring an even coating, and let it sit covered in the fridge for about 30 minutes. When you're ready to cook, crank up the heat and fry the meat in a sizzling pan with a generous amount of oil. Once it's slightly browned yet thoroughly cooked, whip it out and toss it into your dish of choice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners told to pour popular drink over their garden during August
Hungry molluscs will stop at nothing to strip your garden of everything you lovingly planted, chewing through every type of foliage and flower - here's how to put a stop to their unending hunger Green-fingered Brits are being urged to take action before September rolls in and the weather takes a turn for the worse. The summer of 2024 has been a bit of a nightmare for gardeners across the UK, with relentless bouts of heavy rain making it challenging to grow anything - only for it to be devoured by slugs and snails. These ravenous creatures will stop at nothing to strip your garden bare, munching through strawberries, raspberries, tomato plants, potato foliage and every type of flower in their relentless pursuit of food. This follows news of ITV fans accusing Alan Titchmarsh of 'ruining' garden as foster parents were left sobbing. Slug and snail populations have soared this summer, fuelled by the dreary and wet weather, but things are set to get even worse come September. As the weather becomes increasingly damp and the nights draw in, these pests will find the perfect conditions to spread throughout your garden and, even worse, lay their eggs for next year, reports the Express. Slugs will mate and lay eggs throughout the autumn, ensuring an even larger population of slugs and snails for the following year. Luckily, gardeners have a top tip to help control and repel these pests before they can cause too much damage - instant coffee. Cheap coffee grounds aren't just a great way to kick-start your day, they can also give everything growing in your garden a much-needed boost. Caffeine is toxic to slugs and snails, leading some gardening experts to swear by it as an effective method of pest control. A word of caution, however: coffee is an extremely agonising way for slugs to perish, far worse than salt, so don't scatter coffee grounds directly onto any slugs or snails (crushing them would be much swifter and less barbaric). Instead simply dust the coffee grounds across soil and around raised beds or containers during dry, bright weather, and then when it does pour, the slugs won't venture across the coffee, thus safeguarding your treasured blooms and vegetables. In research, coffee grounds were discovered to cut slug and snail populations by between 50 and 90 per cent. The coffee won't cause any detrimental impacts on your plants either, in fact some research has revealed that caffeine actually enhances plant development. Gardening blog Tea and Coffee explains: "Coffee grounds contain a chemical called alkaloid, which is poisonous to slugs. When slugs ingest coffee grounds, they suffer from severe dehydration and eventually die. "For these reasons, slugs will avoid areas where coffee grounds have been sprinkled. While coffee grounds may not be the most effective way to keep slugs out of your garden, they can be a helpful tool in deterring these pests."
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Zoo asks for unwanted pets to be used as meat to feed captive predators so ‘nothing goes to waste'
The controversy follows similar a incident in Germany where 12 healthy baboons were killed ZOO WHAT? Zoo asks for unwanted pets to be used as meat to feed captive predators so 'nothing goes to waste' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A ZOO has ruffled more than a few feathers after asking the public to hand over their unwanted pets to feed its captive predators. Aalborg Zoo, in Denmark, asked for healthy small animals such as rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs to be used as meat for feeding time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Aalborg Zoo has asked the public to hand over their unwanted pets to be used as meat for its predators Credit: Alamy 4 Keepers said the healthy animals such as rabbits, chickens and guinea pigs will be used to feed its carnivore beasts Credit: Getty 4 The Danish zoo said the move was as a way to ensure 'nothing goes to waste' Credit: Alamy Keepers said each donor could donate up to four animals which could then be euthanised before being fed to the carnivore creatures. In a social media appeal, the northern Jutland zoo said: "Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators. "Especially the European lynx, which needs whole prey that resembles what it would naturally hunt in the wild." The zoo also announced it is open to taking horses, provided the proper paperwork is in order – with Danish law even allowing for tax deductions under certain circumstances for horse donations. Read more on zoos LEOPARD ATTACK Zoo worker critical after being mauled in neck by a leopard in horror attack The move was defended by the zoo as a way to ensure "nothing goes to waste". But the internet wasn't having it. One user fumed on Instagram: "Shame on you." Another said: "Asking people to send healthy animals that they don't want any more to you, so they can be slaughtered and fed to the zoo animals is one of the weirdest things I ever read." Punctuating their comment with a green vomit emoji, a third wrote: "Go vegan and stop supporting zoos." The controversy comes hot on the heels of a gruesome incident in Germany, where Nuremberg Zoo killed 12 healthy baboons due to overcrowding. Keepers then fed their carcasses to lions, tigers, and wolves. Another Chinese zoo scandal as hugely obese PANTHER leaves fans shocked The baboons reportedly had their hands and feet removed before being served up in front of horrified visitors. German zoo officials defended the culling as a last resort, but the backlash was swift. This isn't Denmark's first incident with zoo-related fury. In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo sparked massive outrage after it killed a healthy young giraffe named Marius over genetic concerns. His body was publicly dissected as part of an "educational demonstration". Meanwhile, in China, distressing footage of a shockingly obese panther sparked fury among animal lovers. The video captured the moment a large black panther waddled around its enclosure, struggling to walk as its huge belly visibly hung out. The big cat seemingly tried to hide behind a tree, but its bloated stomach made the usually svelte and streamlined animal easy to spot. The shocking footage was filmed at the Chengdu Zoo in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China and images were shared online on March 9. The next day, the zoo told local media that the black panther was very old and a female aged 16-years-old. The zoo also said the panther's body functions and metabolism were not in a good condition. However, the panther's condition sparked backlash with comments saying many of the zoo's animals are too fat due to being overfed.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Lavender plants will keep thriving and not 'go woody' if one task is done in August
Gardeners shouldn't be slacking on their tasks to keep their lavenders happy and healthy for the rest of the year It's crucial for green-fingered enthusiasts to stay on top of their gardening tasks to ensure their plants remain vibrant and thriving as we approach the tail end of summer. Michael, better known as the Mediterranean Gardener on TikTok, has shared a handy checklist of jobs that should be tackled in August. One key tip revolves around lavender, which is nearing the close of its blooming season. Given that lavender blossoms from late spring through to summer, neglecting proper care can lead to a woody appearance, so it's essential to maintain their compactness. Here's what Michael suggests doing with your lavender this August, reports the Express. Lavende For those cultivating lavender in their gardens, Michael advises that regular pruning is the secret to keeping the plant healthy and ensuring it continues to flourish year after year. He recommends carrying out this task post-flowering. Flowering usually wraps up between August and September. To keep your lavender plants in prime condition and boost their chances of blooming annually, it's advisable to give them a 'hard' prune. The Royal Horticultural Society suggests removing any wilted flower stalks along with roughly 2.5cm (1in) of leaf growth. If you notice your plants are looking a bit dishevelled or have suffered frost damage during winter, it's a good idea to trim back the foliage come spring. However, be careful not to prune too aggressively down to the woody stems, as lavender struggles to produce new growth from old wood. While trimming your lavender, Michael recommends taking softwood cuttings from the plant, which also applies to other woody herbs like rosemary. Failing to prune your lavender correctly can lead to the plant becoming 'leggy'. A 'leggy' lavender plant is one that has long, thin, and often woody stems with fewer leaves and blossoms than a well-pruned, flourishing plant. Garden designer Ish shared some wisdom in a TikTok video: "So at the end of summer, you give it something known as a summer prune, where you take the big bunches of it off and cut a really good third of it right down. "By stunting that growth, it'll develop a thicker side shoot, get nice and bushy, but not tall and leggy, keeping it nice and happy, and no woody bits."
