Cu Liu Ji 
(Chinese chicken in vinegar sauce)

Chinese chef stir frying in a wok
Image by Romain Guy

Cu liu ji is a popular stir fry from the area around Beijing. The vinegar adds a pleasant pungency without being overwhelming.

Cu Liu Ji

Course: PoultryCuisine: China
Servings

4

servings

Cu liu ji is a popular stir fry from the area around Beijing. The vinegar adds a pleasant pungency without being overwhelming.

Ingredients

  • Egg white — 1

  • Cornstarch — 1 tablespoon

  • Salt — 1/2 teaspoon

  • Chicken breast, boneless, skinless and cut into cubes — 1 pound

  • Water or stock — 1/2 cup

  • Rice wine vinegar — 1/2 cup

  • Soy sauce — 1/4 cup

  • Rice wine — 2 tablespoons

  • Cornstarch — 1 tablespoon

  • Salt — to taste

  • Oil — 1/4 cup

  • Onion, chopped — 1

  • Garlic, minced — 2 or 3 cloves

  • Ginger, minced — 2 or 3 slices

  • Bamboo shoots, chopped — 1/2 cup

Directions

  • In a bowl, beat together the egg white, cornstarch and salt. Stir in chicken and set aside.
  • In another bowl, mix together the water or stock, vinegar, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over high flame. Add the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to bowl.
  • Add a little more oil to the wok or pot if needed and stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots, return the chicken and stir fry to heat through, another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, give the sauce a big stir and stir it into the chicken. Simmer to thicken the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with steamed rice.

Cu Liu Ji Notes and Variations

  • Substitute 4 to 6 chopped scallions for the onion.
  • Try using water chestnuts in place of the bamboo shoots.

Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.