Chicken Hekka
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 2-inch piece ginger, julienned
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups chicken broth + 1 cup of the shiitake mushroom soaking water)
½ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup mirin
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
8 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in a cup hot water for 1 hour to rehydrate, then thinly sliced
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots
5 ounces cellophane noodles (also called bean thread, mung bean, or glass noodles)
3 stalks green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch watercress, cut in half (stems and leaves)
Directions
In a large saucepan, brown the chicken over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes.
Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil to the pan. Bring to a boil.
Add the onion, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Mix and then turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the cellophane noodles. Cook 6-8 minutes more minutes over medium heat until the noodles are cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed. You want the final dish to be “saucy” but not soupy.
Add the green onions and watercress stems. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add the watercress leaves. Mix and serve! Eat plain or spooned over a big bowl of rice.
