Mar Far Chicken, a dish that resonates with the comfort and flavor of home cooking, has been a staple in Chinese-American cuisine for decades. This culinary delight, often associated with the cozy diners and family-run restaurants of the Pacific Northwest, particularly Oregon, offers a taste that is both familiar and intriguingly unique.
Creating Mar Far Chicken requires a blend of simple, yet flavorful ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
Begin by marinating the chicken pieces. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for deeper flavor.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Gradually add the flour while continuing to whisk, creating a smooth, lump-free batter. If the batter is too thick, add a tablespoon of water to reach the desired consistency.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large, deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). Dip the marinated chicken pieces into the batter, allowing any excess to drip off. With care, add the chicken to the hot oil and fry it for 5 to 7 minutes, until it’s golden brown and fully cooked. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Once fried, remove the chicken pieces from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired.
Mar Far Chicken, while indulgent, can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. Here is a more in-depth look at its nutrition facts and how the recipe can be changed to fit different dietary needs.
These values can vary depending on the size of the serving and the specific ingredients used. The dish is a good source of protein, thanks to the chicken, but it’s also relatively high in sodium and fats due to the frying process and the soy sauce.
For those looking to enjoy Mar Far Chicken with a healthier twist, consider the following modifications:
Mar Far Chicken, with its crispy exterior and succulent interior, pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides. Here are some classic accompaniments:
Mar Far Chicken is more than just a dish; it’s a culinary journey that brings together the simplicity of American home cooking and the rich flavors of Chinese cuisine. Whether served at a family dinner, a festive gathering, or as a comforting meal on a quiet evening, Mar Far Chicken is sure to delight the palate and warm the heart.
Mar Far Chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish that has a crispy outside, a tender and juicy inside, and a flavor profile that is unforgettable for being sweet, savory, and tangy. But for people who have never tried this regional specialty, the name doesn’t really tell you what it tastes like.
So what does Mar Far Chicken taste like? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the origins, ingredients, and culinary secrets behind Mar Far Chicken to understand the flavors that have made it a classic comfort food for generations.
A Brief History of Mar Far Chicken
The history of Mar Far Chicken is almost legendary, but most food historians agree that it all started at Kim’s Restaurant in Medford, Oregon, in the 1950s. The restaurant’s creative cooking methods turned simple ingredients like chicken, eggs, soy sauce, and flour into a dish with a taste that people will never forget.
The name “Mar Far” comes from the Chinese “ma la fang” meaning “various pieces,” referring to the assorted cuts of chicken used in the dish. As Mar Far Chicken grew popular at Kim’s Restaurant, its fame spread beyond southwest Oregon throughout the Pacific Northwest, and eventually across the country as a staple of Chinese-American cuisine.
The Key Ingredients That Create the Signature Taste
Mar Far Chicken has a deceptively simple list of ingredients that combine to create its signature flavor. Here are some of the key components:
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Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces provide moist, tender meat.
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Flour: An egg and flour coating gives the chicken its ultra-crispy exterior.
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Eggs: Beaten eggs help the flour adhere evenly to the chicken.
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Soy sauce: The tangy saltiness of soy sauce adds deep savory umami flavor.
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Milk: Milk assists the flour in creating a thick, crunchy coating on the chicken.
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Garlic and onion powder: Aromatic spices infuse the chicken with a well-rounded flavor.
It’s the precise ratios and special mixing techniques that transform these simple ingredients into the Mar Far Chicken flavor fans crave.
The cooking process seals in the flavor
In addition to the ingredients, the cooking method is equally important in producing Mar Far Chicken’s signature taste. The chicken is first marinated in a milk and soy sauce mixture to allow the seasonings and brine to fully penetrate the meat. After marinating, the chicken pieces are dipped into a thick batter of flour, egg, and milk before frying to golden perfection.
Frying seals in the flavors from the marinade and batter while crisping the exterior. The high heat also caramelizes natural sugars in the chicken, promoting the development of a slightly sweet taste. This cooking method ensures a piece of chicken with a crunchy, flavorful exterior and a moist, seasoned interior in each bite.
The taste experience of Mar Far Chicken
When all of these elements come together after frying, Mar Far Chicken provides an irresistible symphony of flavors and textures:
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Crispy, crunchy coating – The battered exterior provides a satisfying crispness that crackles as you bite into it.
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Tender and juicy chicken – The chicken inside is perfectly cooked until moist and tender.
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Sweet notes – The milk and flour bring out subtle natural sweetness in the chicken.
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Savory depth – The soy sauce lends a savory, salty flavor that highlights the chicken’s richness.
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Aromatic spice – Garlic and onion powder provide a layer of aromatic flavor.
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Tangy undertones – The marinade gives the chicken a faint tangy quality.
Some diners also detect an almost addictive umami quality from the soy sauce and cooking process. The complexity of flavors and textures is what makes Mar Far Chicken a unique tasting experience unlike any other fried chicken.
Regional variations add diversity
One of the joys of Mar Far Chicken is discovering the regional and family variations that all provide their own spin on the classic recipe:
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Oregon style has thicker batter and focuses on the flavors of sweet milk and sour soy sauce.
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California style utilizes a lighter, thinner batter to let the chicken flavor shine.
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Some family recipes add hot sauce or spices like cayenne to the marinade for a spicy kick.
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Some are fried and then covered in a sauce or glaze that gives them flavors like teriyaki, sesame, or sweet and sour.
So while the traditional recipe maintains the taste people crave, there’s plenty of room for customization in making Mar Far Chicken your own.
Healthier cooking methods provide similar flavor
The traditional Mar Far Chicken recipe deep-fries the chicken, which maximizes flavor but increases calories and fat. However, the dish can also be prepared in healthier ways:
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Baked: The chicken can be baked at 425°F after the marinade and batter to provide a crispy exterior and lock in moisture.
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Air fried: Modern air fryers are perfect for giving the chicken a crunchy crust without submerging it in oil.
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Grilled: Grilling imparts delicious charred notes, and the marinade keeps the chicken juicy.
While these cooking methods don’t yield quite as crispy a coating, they still infuse the chicken with most of the beloved Mar Far flavors.
Mar Far Chicken satisfies cravings
In the end, Mar Far Chicken has remained a staple in Chinese-American dining for over 70 years because of the incredible flavors and textures it delivers. The combination of sweet, salty, tangy, savory, spicy, and aromatic notes in each bite provides a taste experience unlike any other chicken dish.
When you get a craving for crispy fried chicken but want bolder, more complex flavors than typical American-style fried chicken, Mar Far Chicken always satisfies. This regional delight highlights how simple comfort food can be elevated into something truly memorable through culinary creativity and skill.
What is Mar Far Chicken?
Mar Far Chicken is a dish characterized by its crispy, golden-brown exterior and tender, juicy interior. The name ‘Mar Far’ translates to ‘various pieces,’ aptly describing the assortment of bite-sized chicken pieces that are battered and fried to perfection. It’s a dish that balances the simplicity of home-style cooking with the complex flavors of Chinese culinary tradition.
The origins of Mar Far Chicken are as flavorful as the dish itself. It is said to have first gained popularity in the 1950s at Kim’s Restaurant in Medford, Oregon. The unique blend of ingredients and the method of preparation quickly made it a local favorite, and before long, it became a regional sensation.
Food Theory: Why Does EVERYTHING Taste Like Chicken?
FAQ
What is mar far chicken?
Mar Far Chicken is a crispy, deep-fried chicken dish, often found in Chinese-American restaurants, particularly in Southern Oregon. It’s usually made of small pieces of chicken that are marinated, dipped in a batter that has flour, cornstarch, and spices in it, and then deep-fried until golden brown.
What does moroccan chicken taste like?
Warmly spiced, this ultra comforting Moroccan chicken is a rich and earthy dish. Prepared with tomatoes, onions, garlic, chickpeas, notes of citrus, plus smokey spices, this abundantly saucy chicken recipe comes complete with a quick and easy lemon and toasted almond couscous for extra coziness!.
What does mala chicken taste like?
It’s not really spicy as you may think a peppercorn to be, however, and includes notes of citrus, is very floral, earthy, and aromatic. Making mala chicken, once you’ve measured out your ingredients, takes no more than 12 minutes.
What does peri chicken taste like?
People love Peri Peri Chicken because it has a lot of different tastes. The chilies make it spicy, the red wine vinegar makes it tangy, the lemon juice makes it slightly sour, the charred bell peppers, smoked paprika, and grilling make it smoky, and the sautéed onions and red bell peppers make it sweet.
Where did Mar far chicken come from?
Mar Far chicken originated at Kim’s Chinese restaurant in Medford Oregon in the 1950’s. Cut up chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and dipped in flour. Then it is dipped in a batter made of egg, flour, and baking powder. soy sauce and salt, then ddep fried. Served with pink shrimp sauce. Delicious and fattening. Q: What is mar far chicken? Write your answer.
Is it easy to make Mar Far Chicken?
Mar Far Chicken is easy to make. It’s a Middle Eastern dish that requires minimal culinary expertise and only a few ingredients: chicken, tomatoes, and onions. In this day and age, there’s no excuse for living off fast food and microwave dinners. The results are always satisfying.
Is Mar Far Chicken healthy?
Mar Far chicken is rich in protein, providing 25% of the total protein required in a day. A 3-ounce serving of chicken offers more than the recommended dietary allowance for protein. Additionally, Mar Far chicken is a good source of niacin, selenium, and vitamin B6.
What does chicken liver taste like?
So Chicken liver is mild and has a sllightly grainy texture, but has a soft meaty squishyness that has a rich flavour that tastes like the dark meat of chicken, but with a gaminess that is pleasant and not overwhelming. Beef liver is more of what chicken liver is, but that depends on the age of the animal.