In 1988 I discovered what my wife and I consider to be the finest Chinese
Restaurant in the world - Uncle Bao's (East) in El Paso, Texas. This recipe was our favorite of all,
but was removed from their menu in 1995 to make room for new dishes. However, the staff would gladly
make us Gan Bond Chicken anytime we requested it up to the day they closed forever in 2003. Uncle Bao's
still has a restaurant on the West side of El Paso, and it is great, but just not the same as the one on
the East side was. This recipe is my attempt to recreate the recipe, and I think I've gotten pretty close!
Gan Bond Chicken goes great with Glenn's Fried Rice.
INGREDIENTS:
4 Chicken Breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 or 2 inch chunks
2 to 4 Green Onions (Scallions), Chopped, green parts only
Cornstarch - enough to dredge the chicken chunks
8 cloves Garlic, peeled and sliced very thin (not bruised or mashed)
1 tsp. Ginger Root, fresh, peeled & chopped
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cornstarch
1/4 Cup water
Canola Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Materials Needed:
1 Wok [OR] 1 large cast iron skillet
1 large mixing spoon - a curved chinese stirring spatula works best
1 large serving platter
1 set of measuring spoons
1 plate for dredging chicken
1 small plate
1 sharp cleaver or knife
1 cutting board
PREPARATION:
Peel and Slice the Ginger Root, Garlic cloves, and green onions (save the white parts of the onions
for some other recipe). Place the ginger and onions on a small plate.
Slice the lime and set aside.
Measure out the salt and sugar, mix together and set aside.
Wash the chicken breasts and cut into pieces about 1 or 2 inches long and wide. Make all pieces
the same size.
Put some cornstarch onto a plate, dredge the chicken in the cornstarch to coat it well, and set aside.
Put some oil into a Wok or skillet and heat well (not to smoking).
COOKING METHOD:
Fry the coated chicken in the wok until golden brown.
Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels. Move the chicken to a serving platter.
Remove the oil from the wok. Place the sugar, lime juice, salt, garlic water into the wok and
cook on medium heat until bubbling.
Stir in the green onions
Add 1 tsp of cornstarch to a little water, stir to dissove, and drizzle into the mixture while stirring. Do not
allow to form lumps. Mixture should be just a little bit thickened.
Pour the mixture over the chicken on the platter and serve. We serve it with Soy Sauce,
Fried Rice, Eggrolls and Hot & Sour Soup.
Enjoy!!!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. I suggest using a Wok for this recipe; if you can't using any skillet that is not cast iron will not cook as evenly;
if you don't own one try your best to find one, season it according to instructions, never wash it with
bleach, and after washing it, always dry it over heat then oil it with vegetable oil and wipe it dry before
storing it for the next use. If you have a Wok, it most likely came with the appropriate care instructions - if
not, e-mail me and I'll e-mail you a copy of the instructions that came with mine.
{From my own attempt to re-create Uncle Bao's recipe - 2003.}