Chicken Chop Malaysian style

My phone was flooded with messages of my family discussing about dinner my sister was arranging. She was planning to make chicken chop for a family dinner get together. Obviously, I was kept in the group conversation only because they try to include me in family updates, but that was making me miss home and salivate for home made chicken chop. My sister's chicken chop is pretty awesome! I decided to not feel left out just because I am 7,000 miles away. So I made chicken chop for the weekend too!!

This chicken chop is a Malaysian take on a western style dish. The chicken is usually battered and deep fried but I do not like deep frying food in my kitchen, especially when I know how much oil is involved in the process. Just say that it is not healthy, and not because I do not give a fuss about deep frying. The positive side is that I made a healthier version; pan fried the chicken instead!

My first attempt to chicken chop and it was so delicious!

"I never knew chicken could taste so good!" ~M

CHICKEN CHOP RECIPE

Adapted from Recipe from Malaysia
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Chicken marinade

• 2 chicken legs (debone)
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Ground white pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with all ingredients overnight, or about 3 hours.

The cooked chicken on its own, without sauce.

Mashed Potato

• 2 potatoes
• 10g butter
• Boiling water & salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes in salt water until soft.
2. Mash the potatoes with the butter until smooth.
3. Add pepper to taste.
4. Put aside a cup of the water used for boiling the potatoes for use in the sauce later.

Sauce

• 1 onion (wedge)
• ½ carrot (small cubes)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 4 tbs potato water (from boiling of potatoes)
• 2 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tbs sweet soy sauce
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 150g canned chopped tomatoes
• oil

Method:

1. Place the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
2. Heat some oil on the pan. Stir fry the onion until fragrant and soft.
3. Add in carrots and garlic and fry until carrots are partly soft.
4. Pour the mixed sauce and potato water. Let cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
5. Combine the chopped tomatoes in to the sauce until it boils.
6. Let the sauce simmer. Taste and make sure no extra seasoning is needed.
7. Keep the sauce hot until ready to serve.

Assembly Components

• ¼ cucumber (sliced)
• 1 carrot (cut into batons and boiled until just cooked)
• 6 leaves of lettuce gem

• Mashed potatoes
• Marinated chicken
• Cooked sauce

Assembly Method:

1. Decorate two plates with the sliced cucumber in a fan-like pattern.
2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place on plate with the hollow side upwards so they function like cups.
3. Heat the pan with oil. Place the chicken thighs or legs on the hot pan and let cook in medium heat undisturbed for about 4 minutes (depending on size of chicken) until brown.
4. Flip over the uncooked side on to the pan and let them cook. Check whether the chicken is cooked by slicing it open. Make sure it is not over cooked to avoid them being dry. Place the cooked chicken on a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain any access oil.
5. In the mean time, place the boiled carrot batons in the lettuce leaf cups.
6. Scoop the mashed potatoes on to the plates.
7. Stack the chicken on the mashed potatoes or put them on its side.
8. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the chicken and serve hot.

A juicy slice of chicken

This plate of food finished in a blink of an eye. The plate with almost dried up, the sauce was completely wiped out too!