FOOD NEWS
The Classic Ingredients That Comprise Moo Goo Gai Pan
BY KAT LIEU
Moo goo gai pan, or "mushroom chicken slice" in Cantonese and Taishanese, is a unique dish that came to America via immigrants from Guangdong province in southern China.
The dish was originally a nutritious and comforting meal for hard-working Chinese laborers, but it soon evolved to fit the Western palate while still keeping its essential flavors.
The dish is made with thin slices of boneless, skinless chicken breast, garlic, fresh ginger, scallions, sliced mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts.
The ingredients are cooked in a wok and bathed in a sauce made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, and a little sugar. It's garnished with scallions to finish.
A similar dish is moo shu, which comes from northern China and typically includes pork, vegetables, and scrambled eggs, with a sweeter and thicker sauce than moo goo gai pan.
Moo goo gai pan is versatile and its ingredients can be modified in many ways. The dish can even be made vegan by using vegetable broth and replacing the chicken with fried tofu.