Special Chopsuey

Special Chopsuey is something I cooked for my family when we were still in the Philippines. I make it with pork, chicken, chicken liver, shrimp, boiled quail eggs, and plenty of vegetables. Adding chicken liver is a must for me because it gives the sauce more flavor than regular chop suey.

I use pork shoulder and chicken breast and slice them thin so they cook faster. I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp when I made this, but I prefer fresh shrimp when I can get it. If your shrimp still have the heads and shells on, squeeze the juice from the heads into the pot before discarding them. It adds more shrimp flavor to the sauce.

You can also add another half cup of water if you like your chopsuey with more sauce. I add it after the pork and chicken have simmered for 15 minutes. The cornstarch slurry thickens the sauce at the end, so it still comes out thick enough to spoon over rice.

What is Special Chopsuey?

Special Chopsuey has more meat and seafood than the regular version. This one has pork, chicken, chicken liver, shrimp, and quail eggs together with cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers.

I think the chicken liver makes a big difference here. It gives the sauce a richer taste that works well with the shrimp and vegetables. My Super Tasty Chop Suey also uses chicken breast and liver if you want to try a simpler version.

I usually cook this for special occasions or when I have more people to feed. There is more prep because of all the meat, seafood, and vegetables, so I make sure everything is sliced before I start cooking. I like serving it with rice and something fried on the side.

What Is House Special Chop Suey?

You might also see House Special Chop Suey on the menu at Chinese restaurants in the US. It usually has a combination of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, or other ingredients instead of just one kind of meat.

Some restaurants also add quail eggs, so it can look similar to the Filipino version. You can also try my Chicken Chow Mein if you want another easy Chinese-style dish with chicken and vegetables.

Ingredients

For the meat and seafood

• Pork shoulder – Three ounces is all you need here, since you also have chicken, liver, and shrimp in the same pot.
• Chicken breast – Cut it about as thick as the pork so the two finish together.
• Chicken liver – Halve each piece so it cooks evenly.
• Shrimp – I like medium shrimp for this recipe. Buy them with the heads on if the counter has them.

For the vegetables

• Cabbage – I used Savoy cabbage, though regular green cabbage works just as well. Chop it into pieces a spoon can pick up.
• Cauliflower – Cut the florets small. They get three minutes and nothing more.
• Carrot – Slice it thin and on an angle so it softens in the same three minutes as the cauliflower.
• Red and green bell peppers – Cut into squares. Using both is a color decision more than a flavor one.
• Quail eggs – Boil and peel these before you start cooking. Twelve is right for four servings.
• Yellow onion – One medium onion, sliced.
• Garlic – Crush the cloves first, then chop them small so they brown evenly.

For the sauce and seasoning

• Shrimp Bouillon – One cube seasons the whole pot. No shrimp bouillon? See the substitutions further down.
• Oyster sauce – This goes in near the end, after the vegetables have cooked.
• Cornstarch – Two tablespoons, diluted in four tablespoons of water. Mix it in a separate small bowl, never straight into the pot.
• Cooking oil – Any neutral oil.
• Salt and ground black pepper – Season at the end. The shrimp cube and the oyster sauce may already be salty, and some brands are saltier than others.

Chicken liver gives this Special Chopsuey a richer flavor. I only use three ounces because too much liver can overpower the shrimp and vegetables. Look for fresh pieces with an even color and no green spots, then rinse and drain them before cooking.

Have all the vegetables sliced and the quail eggs peeled before you start. Once the cooking begins, the ingredients go into the pot one after another.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a pot.
2. Sauté the garlic until it starts to turn light brown.
3. Add the onion. Sauté until it softens.
4. Add the pork and chicken. Sauté for 3 minutes, or until the meat starts to brown.

Cook the garlic only until light brown. If it gets too dark, it can make the sauce taste bitter.

1. Add the chicken liver. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in the water and add the Knorr Shrimp Cube. Let it boil, then cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

These 15 covered minutes are what make the pork tender. Check a piece at 10 minutes if you sliced it very thin, since thin strips get there sooner.

1. Add the cauliflower and carrot. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the red and green bell peppers, shrimp, and cabbage. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes.

The cabbage should still have some bite when the three minutes are up. Check the shrimp before you move on. It should be pink all the way through and firm to the touch.

1. Add the oyster sauce. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste, then toss until everything is well combined.
2. Add the quail eggs.
3. Pour in the cornstarch slurry while gently tossing the ingredients. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
4. Transfer the Special Chopsuey to a serving bowl. Serve warm. Share and enjoy!

Toss gently once the quail eggs are in. Stirring too hard can break them apart.

What to Serve with Special Chopsuey

• Steamed white rice – There is plenty of sauce to spoon over steamed rice, so I usually cook a full batch.
• Special Pancit Canton – Noodles with pork belly, liver, shrimp, and quail eggs. Noodles and chopsuey often turn up on the same table at birthdays.
• Lechon Kawali – Deep fried pork belly, cut into chunks and served with a saucer of vinegar beside it.
• Fried Tilapia – Whole fish fried until the skin crisps, with soy sauce and calamansi for dipping.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Let the chopsuey cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I usually reheat only what we plan to eat. We normally finish ours by the second day while the vegetables still have some texture.
• Freezer: I would not freeze the finished chopsuey because the vegetables soften and the quail eggs can turn rubbery after thawing. If you want to prepare ahead, you can freeze the sliced pork, chicken, and liver together. Keep the shrimp separate and prepare the vegetables fresh when you are ready to cook.
• Reheating: I prefer reheating this in a pan over medium heat. Add a little water if the sauce has thickened too much and toss gently until everything is hot. Try not to cook it too long so the vegetables do not soften further.

More Chop Suey Recipes

• Pork Chop Suey – Pork shoulder, a short vegetable list, and chopped parsley at the end.
• Beef Chop Suey – The beef version, made with sirloin.
• Chopsuey Stir Fry – Jumbo shrimp and vegetables, no simmering step at all.
• Scallop Chop Suey – Bay scallops and quail eggs in a chicken broth sauce.
• Crab and Corn Chopsuey – Crab and sweet corn, with tofu and broccoli in the mix.
• Chopsuey with Chicken and Broccoli – Chicken breast with broccoli as the main vegetable.

• Pork shoulder – Pork loin or pork belly, sliced just as thin. Belly makes the sauce richer.
• Chicken liver – Chicken gizzard cut small, though it needs a longer simmer to get tender. You can also leave the liver out and use another ounce of chicken breast. My Chicken Liver and Gizzard Stew with Quail Eggs cooks both of them together.
• Quail eggs – You can use two boiled chicken eggs cut into quarters instead.
• Knorr Shrimp Cube – A chicken bouillon cube plus the juice squeezed from the shrimp heads. The sauce is milder that way.
• Cauliflower – Broccoli florets, cut small enough to soften in three minutes.

I like eating Special Chopsuey with plenty of rice and some of the sauce spooned on top. I usually save a couple of quail eggs for the last few bites.