Chicken Hekka Recipe from: Chef Sheldon Simeon
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, sliced into 1-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¾ cup mirin (a Japanese rice wine similar to sake but lower in alcohol, higher in sugar)
- ¾ cup Aloha brand shoyu (or your favorite soy sauce)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 6 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced (reserve liquid)
- 1 cup carrot, diagonally sliced
- 1 small Maui onion, sliced
- 1 8-ounce can straw mushrooms
- 2 ounces dried black fungus, reconstituted in warm water
- 1 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced
- 2 cups watercress, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 heads baby bok choy, cut in quarters lengthwise
- 3 pieces aburage, cut into ½-inch strips
- 6 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 package long rice (“cellophane” noodles) soaked in water until soft, then cut with scissors into
- 3-inch lengths
Method: Combine brown sugar, shoyu and mirin. In a skillet or wok, heat sesame oil to medium-high heat. Add chicken, turn heat up to high and cook until the meat is browned. Add ginger and garlic. Add shoyu mixture, 1 cup of the water used to reconstitute the mushrooms, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and cook 3 minutes.