Hoisin Chicken (China)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh broccoli
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1 red or green bell pepper
• 2 (4 ounce) cans whole button mushrooms
• 1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons grated pared fresh ginger root
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules

Instructions

1. Wash broccoli and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel and chop onions. Remove seeds from pepper and chop pepper coarsely. Drain mushrooms. Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for another use. Rinse chicken and cut into serving size pieces. Coat chicken pieces with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in wok over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, to hot oil (cook only 1/3 of the pieces at a time). Cook until golden and completely cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from wok. Stir fry ginger in the oil over medium heat 1 minute. Add onion to ginger. Stir fry over high heat 1 minute. Add broccoli, pepper and mushrooms. Stir fry 2 minutes.
4. Combine water and all remaining ingredients . Add to vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until liquid boils and becomes translucent.
5. Return chicken to wok. Cook and stir until chicken is hot throughout, 2 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.