Chicken Meat Floss (CNY)

What is Chinese New Year without meat floss?  I prepared this snack or filling beforehand because I intend to use it in my Mini Spring Rolls which I will prepare later.  So, I better hide it in a safe place now before it gets eaten up behind my back! Anyway, there are various methods to prepare this snack but I did it my own simple way, as long as the end result is satisfactory and the taste is good.

Ingredients:
4 chicken legs (with thighs) or 500 g chicken breast
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (thick)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
80 fine sugar or rock sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cloves, to be grounded

Important Note:  If you are using the chicken meat floss as a filling for your Mini Spring Rolls, add salt according to this recipe.  Otherwise, your Mini Spring Rolls will be very salty after frying.

For eating with porridge, add a little more salt to your taste.

Method:
In a large pot, add chicken meat and enough water to cover meat.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and let it simmer with the lid on for about 30 minutes.  Once done, remove chicken meat to a colander and leave aside to allow them to cool down completely.  Shred the cooked meat (skin to be discarded) into a bowl.  If you do this the day before, cover bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate.

Add the rest of ingredients to shredded meat and marinate for at least an hour.

Transfer meat mixture to a clean wok and cook (without oil) over low heat until mixture is almost dry.  Remove wok from heat.  The cooking process took me about an hour and a half.

By using a blender on medium speed, blend about 4 tbsp of meat mixture at a time. This is to achieve the floss texture.

Remove to a large bowl and repeat procedure until all meat mixture is blended. Return mixture to wok and cook over low heat until completely dry.

Once dry, transfer to a baking tray and leave to cool down completely.  Store in a container.  If storing it for a longer time, it is advisable to store container in the fridge.

Bon Appetit!