Almond chicken#almond boneless chicken
{{Short description|American Chinese dish.}}{{Infobox food|name=Almond chicken|associated_cuisine=American Chinese food|region=Michigan, Detroit, Michigan|course=Main course|main_ingredient=Chicken, almonds|image=Almond chicken from Panda Express 2.jpg|caption=Fried almond chicken from Panda Express}}
Almond chicken is an American Chinese dish. The most common variations involve either stir-frying or deep-frying chicken and topping it with almonds.
Preparation
File:Chicken and almonds stir fry.jpg
Some variations of almond chicken are prepared in a similar manner to cashew chicken, by stir-frying chicken with almonds and vegetables.{{Cite web |last=Frederick |first=Missy |date=2018-10-30 |title=Almond Boneless Chicken Is a Chinese-American Cult Favorite |url=https://www.eater.com/2018/10/30/18010390/almond-boneless-chicken-war-su-gai-michigan |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Eater |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-02-28 |title=Adam Liaw's Chinese almond chicken |url=https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/adam-liaws-chinese-almond-chicken-20230224-h2a36j.html |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Good Food |language=en}} This variation is found in the 1917 Chinese Cook Book by Shiu Wong Chan, which calls for stir-frying chicken with onions, mushrooms, water chestnuts and celery before coating with "Chinese gravy" and topping with almonds.{{Cite book |last=Chan |first=Shiu Wong |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0xkEAAAAYAAJ&q=almond+chicken&pg=PA35 |title=The Chinese Cook Book |date=1917 |publisher=Frederick A. Stokes Company |isbn=978-0-598-76710-3 |pages=35 |language=en}} This is one of the oldest recipes for the dish.
Other versions of the dish are prepared by battering chicken and coating it with almonds before frying.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sjL_Y8-1pZAC&dq=almond+chicken+chinese&pg=PA106 |title=Looking for Asian America: An Ethnocentric Tour by Wing Young Huie ; [the Exhibition "Nine Month in America, an Ethnocentric Tour by Wing Young Huie" Premiered at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, April 17 - August 1, 2004. This Book is an Extension of the Exhibition, which Included More Than One Hundred Photographs] |date=2007 |publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn=978-1-4529-1356-8 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Panda Express Is Introducing an All-New Chicken Dish |url=https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/panda-express-crispy-almond-chicken-dish-new-item |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Thrillist |date=13 August 2021 |language=en}}
= Almond boneless chicken =
Almond boneless chicken or war sui gai, a variation popular in Michigan, features sliced chicken which is deep-fried twice.{{Cite web |last=Kwong |first=Helen |date=2016-07-19 |title=A Taste of Home |url=https://www.hourdetroit.com/restaurants-food/a-taste-of-home/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Hour Detroit Magazine |language=en-US}} It is then topped with mushroom gravy and sliced almonds and served on a bed of iceberg lettuce.{{Cite web |date=2015-06-10 |title=Almond boneless chicken, exhibit ABC of Chinese-American idiosyncrasy |url=https://gourmandistan.com/2015/06/10/almond-boneless-chicken-exhibit-abc-of-chinese-american-idiosyncrasy/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Gourmandistan |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Jackman |first=Michael |title=The ABCs of almond boneless chicken |url=https://www.metrotimes.com/food-drink/the-abcs-of-almond-boneless-chicken-2295400 |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Detroit Metro Times |language=en}} The dish is strongly associated with Detroit,{{Cite web |title=Test Kitchen recipe: Almond Boneless Chicken |url=https://www.freep.com/story/life/food/recipes/2015/02/23/almond-boneless-chicken-recipe/23879913/ |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=Detroit Free Press |language=en-US}} but is also commonly served in Ohio and parts of Eastern Canada.{{Cite web |last=Service |first=Taste News |title=The Mystery of Almond Boneless Chicken - Taste California Travel |url=https://www.tastecaliforniatravel.com/food/entertain-at-home/item/1656-the-mystery-of-almond-boneless-chicken |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=www.tastecaliforniatravel.com |language=en-gb}}
The origins of almond boneless chicken are unknown, although it was likely developed by Chinese immigrants from Guangdong.{{Cite web |date=2014-10-29 |title=The ABCs of Michigan almond boneless chicken - American Food Roots |url=https://www.americanfoodroots.com/50-states/abcs-michigan-almond-boneless-chicken/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029220307/https://www.americanfoodroots.com/50-states/abcs-michigan-almond-boneless-chicken/ |archive-date=2014-10-29 |access-date=2023-05-21 |website=American Food Roots}} It may have originated in Detroit, Michigan and was historically associated with chop suey houses.