Shiso Chicken Tenders 紫蘇雞柳

Sourcing ingredients can be a hard task in Taiwan. Like this time, I was going to use mint leaves for a more Thai style chicken recipe, but the grocery store that I went to didn't carry mint leaves that day. Don't even think about traditional market, I might have better luck finding a pot of mint plant there, but all I need was just a small bundle of fresh leaves.

So I was trying to figure something out in front of the fresh herbs section. Shiso it is. Changing from Thai to a more Japanese recipe.

Shiso chicken tenders 紫蘇雞柳 -

Ingredients?

• 12 chicken tenders
• 8 shiso leaves
• 1 small bundle cilantro
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Some olive oil
• Some corn starch
• Some white pepper powder

How?

Julienne shiso leaves. Peel and finely chop the garlic gloves. Peel and grate the ginger. Finely chop cilantro.

Remove tendons from chicken tenders. Coat the meat with corn starch. Gently shake off excess powder.

Drizzle some oil in a non-stock pan, at least enough to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Turn to medium high heat. Once the surface warms up, transfer chicken over one by one. Sear till colored then flip and continue to sear the other side. Once ready, scoop out the chicken tenders and set aside for later use.

Using the same pan, drizzle more oil to coat the bottom. Still using medium high heat. Add in garlic, ginger, salt, and some white pepper powder. Give it a quick stir, sear till aromatic but not burnt.

Pour in chicken stock and transfer seared chicken tenders back to the pan. Bring to a boil then keep it as a simmer for few more minutes. Add in shiso leaves and cilantro. Cook till the juice has been reduced. The sauce should thicken a little and slightly gooey, but not completely dried.

Use just a little less than one teaspoon of salt if a lighter taste is desired.

Weeks passed since I made this dish, and I successfully found a stable supply of fresh mint leaves at a nearby grocery store. Thankfully, my Thai influenced chicken tenders recipe should be up soon!


Other chicken related recipes:

• Sweet and savory honey glazed chicken tenders
• Creamy comfort food - chicken alfredo with spinach and button mushrooms
• Colorful chicken stir-fry with bamboo shoots, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and snow peas