Ahhh … Asian-style dinner after a week of spaghetti, tuna bakes and sandwiches ~ very comforting. I actually thought about NOT cooking today coz it is simply boiling here. I thought of just eating salad … but I had no salad leaves. I thought of drinking juice but I had no fruit. Oh well, cook dinner I must, but it had to be something quick and easy. And what’s quicker than a simple stir-fry.
Chicken stir-fries are dead easy and kept me alive back in my college days. Granted I ate most meals on campus but I had to fix my own dinners, and all I knew to cook was stir-fries. I was eighteen, so yes, my cooking repertoire was pretty limited. Anyway, my cooking has gotten much better since then (thankfully!) … so yeah, I’m pretty happy with that.
The trick with making a delicious chicken stir-fry (when using white meat) is to not over cook the meat. For flavour it is always a good idea to marinade the chicken prior to cooking. Marinating also lends itself to acquiring good colour when that chicken hits the hot pan. A non-stick wok would be considered the ideal cooking vessel but not entirely essential. If you have one then good for you, but I don’t and I still am able to produce awesome stir-fries. So don’t fret and relax in the knowledge that you don’t have to run out and buy one.
Ingredients: (serves 2)
- 2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced to bite-sizes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- 2 cm ginger root, sliced thinly
- 1 fresh chilli, deseeded
- 200 mls unsalted chicken broth
- 60 mls Chinese cooking wine
- 1 bunch spring onions.
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- white pepper
- 2 tsp cornstarch, diluted in water
Start by prepping the onions, ginger and garlic … the “mirepoix” of the stir-fry world. It is important to get everything prepped and ready for a stir-fry coz once you start cooking everything goes fast.
For the chilli, if you like a bit of spice then leave the seeds in. If not then de-seed it and slice thinly.
Next slice the chicken breast and marinade with white pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss to coat.
Heat the pan (dry) until it is very hot. Add the peanut oil and begin frying the onions, ginger and chillies. Toss for 1 minute and then add the garlic. When fragrant, add the chicken and spread evenly in one layer. Leave it there for a minute or two in order to get the pan back up to temperature. Leaving the meat stationary will also allow for browning to take place on the meat surface.
Shake the pan to loosen any pieces stuck to the bottom. Toss the meat about and keep them moving now.
Add the cooking wine and allow the alcohol to cook off. Then immediately add the chicken stock. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer gently for a minute.
Now add the cornstarch solution and stir thoroughly. The solution will thicken immediately. Cover the pan and turn off the heat, allowing the residual heat to gently finish off the cooking process.
When you are ready to serve garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
So there, a meal in minutes. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have. Stay tuned for more quick and easy mid-week meal ideas here. Until then, good luck in the kitchen.
~ Enjoy ~
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