I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking…what is Polynesian Chicken exactly?
To me, it was course #4 in the once famous “Polynesian Luau for 5” at the Holiday Inn Restaurant in Liberty, NY. The Luau served up a soup, a Pu Pu platter, and one dish per person, depending upon how many people were in your luau party.
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Pork Fried Rice for a party of two. Add Roast Pork with Chinese Vegetables for three and Moo Goo Gai Pan for four!
And for five people? The addition of a big plate of Polynesian Chicken. (In case you couldn’t tell already, a Holiday Inn luau was easily one of the highlights of many folks’ upstate New York vacationing experience.)
Nothing to Do With Real Polynesian Food
Okay, time for a quick disclaimer. Neither the Holiday Inn luau nor this Polynesian chicken recipe actually resemble traditional Polynesian cooking. No fish or taro or any other authentic Polynesian ingredients we’re probably woefully unaware of.
And we should clarify that platters of American Chinese food do not, in fact, make a luau. The Holiday Inn’s restaurant menu was clearly American Chinese, and the Polynesian Luau was likely the product of some imaginative menu-planner at Holiday Inn corporate, but the concept worked. There were lines out the door every summer weekend, and sometimes during the week!
The Building Blocks of Polynesian Chicken
So what goes into the Holiday Inn’s Polynesian Chicken?
It was a few large pieces of crispy, batter-fried chicken breast, set on a bed of shredded Chinese vegetables in a luscious brown sauce.
People ordered Polynesian Chicken a la carte off the menu just as often as an entourage of five vacationing New Yorkers decided to indulge in the Polynesian Luau for 5.
Like many of the recipe requests we’ve received from readers, this one is pretty unique. It’s a little piece of Chinese-Americana circa 1975, and you likely won’t find it anywhere else.
Memories of the Catskills in the 1970s
The Catskills in the 70s was a hopping place during the summer, boosted by the multiple summer camps in the area and, of course, the once famous Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel (where my mother and Judy’s grandmother met, and how our family got started–but that’s a story for another time).
(Photos courtesy of The Catskills Institute)
Chinese restaurants were quite popular in those days, frequented by summer vacationers from New York City and Northern New Jersey tired of the kosher fare coming out of the resort kitchens.
Liberty, NY, where I grew up, was the epicenter of Chinese cuisine in the Catskills region, with four restaurants all located within minutes of each other:
- Singer’s Chinese Restaurant on Main Street
- King’s in a harder-to-find neighborhood in northwestern Liberty
- The Triangle Diner at the entrance of Grossinger’s (yes, they had a Chinese menu!)
- And of course, the place where I spent my summers and where my father worked as chef—the Holiday Inn Restaurant just off exit 100 on Route 17.
All these restaurants had pretty similar menus, but as far I know, the Holiday Inn had the one and only Polynesian Chicken, and I’m bringing you that recipe today.
These restaurants and the Grossinger’s resort have been closed down for years now, but I hope you enjoy this forgotten dish and a small piece of history from my hometown.
Polynesian Chicken: Recipe Instructions
NOTE: As with many of our recipes, you should have all your vegetables prepared, chopped and ready to go before you start cooking. The actual cooking process will be very fast!
Carefully split the chicken breast into two thinner pieces that are roughly the same size. Sprinkle the salt, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on both sides of the chicken breast, and set aside.
Make the batter by mixing all of the batter ingredients in a bowl until combined. Do not overmix!
Meanwhile, heat 4 cups of canola oil in a small wok or cast-iron frying pan until it reaches 350 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature, because you don’t want to burn the batter before the chicken is cooked.
Dip both of the chicken breasts into the batter…
And fry until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes on each side), turning the chicken pieces often in the oil.
Set the fried chicken aside on a wire rack to drain off any excess oil. If you own a Chinese spider with the bamboo handle, now is the time dig it out of the cupboard and use it!
If you are unsure whether or not the chicken is done, you can cut into one of the pieces to make sure the juices are no longer pink. However, the chicken is cut thin, so it’s relatively easy to cook it until it’s just done. This is important for achieving a tasty chicken dish.
Heat your wok over high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the frying oil to your wok. Add the garlic, mushrooms, julienned bamboo shoots, and red bell peppers, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add in the Shaoxing wine, followed by the napa cabbage. Continue to stir-fry for 30 seconds, and stir in the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and white pepper.
Next, add the snow peas and give everything a quick stir.
Add the hot chicken stock. Let the sauce come to a boil, and add the cornstarch/water mixture. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds until the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a plate. Slice the chicken into 1½-inch wide pieces, and place on top of the bed of vegetables.
Serve this polynesian chicken immediately with white rice!
