Who doesn’t love Chinese food and even more who doesn’t love Mu Shu?!  Guy Fieri recently prepared a Mu Shu Chicken with Chinese Crepes with Scallions on Guy’s Big Bite on the Food Network Channel and it looked wonderful so I couldn’t wait to try it.  Warning:  the ingredients list is long but the result was satisfyingly flavorful.  Jeff couldn’t get enough of it!
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I am almost ashamed to admit this but this was my first attempt at making crepes.  Needless to say, you can expect to see more recipes with this delicacy because I loved them and certainly see the versatility in making them with a variety of ingredients!  The first one came out a little thick and I trashed it but the rest were perfect.  I did add a little hot sauce to my batter (just because) and it was a nice addition.
The only thing I don’t like about this recipe is the vegetable to chicken ratio.  I used 1 1/2 lbs of chicken and even after I left out the green cabbage and only used the napa and red cabbages, I still have to much vegetable so either add more chicken or just do less vegetables.  The recipe below is my new version.  (Note:  make your crepes first and keep warm while you prepare the Mu Shu Chicken)
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Ingredients
1/3 cup hoisin sauce, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger (I used the Ginger Paste you can find in the produce section)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 red pepper, seeded, membrane removed, julienned
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 large head Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 medium head purple cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1 cup sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup shaved bamboo shoots, drained
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
1 small bunch scallions, finely shaved
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving, optional
Sriracha, for serving, optional
Chinese Crepes with Scallions:  (Double this recipe so you will have extra for your leftovers)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour (I found this at Fresh Market but I think you could omit this and use all-purpose flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 eggs
2 scallions, finely sliced
Nonstick cooking spray
Note:  I added a teaspoon of hot sauce to my batter to enhance the flavor!
Directions Whisk the hoisin, soy, mirin, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced chicken and toss to coat evenly. Marinate the chicken, covered, at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. image

Once 5 minutes of marinating time remains, heat a large wok or skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil to heat. Using a slotted spoon, strain the chicken add to the very hot wok or skillet. Cook, allowing it to brown, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. (Note:  I’m a stickler for having my onions cooked perfectly so I did this part a little differently.  I sauteed my onions until slightly softened, removed them, added the chicken to the wok, and then followed the directions as stated.)  Add the red bell pepper and the onion slices, allowing them to soften, another minute. Next, add the cabbages and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until just browning, about 2 minutes.image

Push the chicken and vegetables to the side of the wok and stir in the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Remove from the heat and set aside, keeping warm. (I just kept wok on low)

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Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the beaten eggs to the skillet, allowing to scramble, 2 to 3 minutes. Once cooked, break up the eggs with a rubber spatula and add to the chicken. (Note:  Here I just added the eggs from the skillet into my wok where the chicken and the vegetables were cooking.)  Toss to combine. image

Chinese Crepes with Scallions:

In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk the flours, salt, 1 cup water, the sesame oil and eggs; the batter should be smooth and free of lumps. Again, I also added hot sauce here and do not forget the salt!

Heat a crepe pan or 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Very lightly coat the skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle in 1/4 cup of the batter. Gently rotate the skillet for a few seconds, swirling the batter to create a thin, even layer over the bottom. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons scallions to each pancake at this point. Cook the pancake until the underside is pale and just firmed up, about 1 minute.

Flip the pancake over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel. Continue with the rest of the batter until all the pancakes have been made. Keep warm until ready to serve.imageimage

Mu Shu Chicken is served alongside a bed of Jasmine Fried Rice!  image

Bottom Line:  A fantastic dish that I will make again with the above modifications and highly suggest you try it.  You may not do take out ever again!  This was a yummy treat for lunch today 🙂

Kitchen Tip:  Keep your Sesame Oil in the fridge…it has a tendency to turn rancid in the pantry

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mu-shu-chicken-recipe.html?oc=linkback

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