Stir Fried Chicken

Stir Fried Chicken

With so much innovations and creativity in the stir fry business, it is sometimes good to go back to basics on the stir fry cooking.  Stir frying goes a long way back to the Chinese way of preparing dishes.  It is economical as well a quick and easy to solution to hungry people around the table.  One of the most long time favorite dishes in a Chinese Cuisine is the STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH GARIC SAUCE.  A classic simple recipe in the Chinese kitchen, and now a popular take-out dish, this recipe is a great example of how garlic is used abundantly in the Chinese way of cooking. 

Fresh garlic cloves are chopped finely and then added to the hot oil in the wok to sizzle and provide the aromatic fragrance of the entire stir fried chicken.  Complementing the strong garlic flavor, are the aromatics of the freshly grated ginger, and the red chili flakes, and even white pepper, but not forgetting the toasted sesame oil that blends them all.  To add some color and sweetness and a fresh crunch to this recipe, we chose a medley of veggies such as snow peas, red onion, and the bell pepper.  And when they are in the fridge, we also can add in some broccoli, the baby corn, the cabbage, some carrots, the baby bok choy or even mushrooms.

Delicious and very well balanced, this stir fry recipe makes a perfect family meal.  So skip the unhealthy take-out and enjoy this Chinese dish at home with a bowl of rice.  The original recipe serves 3 to 4 persons.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut them crosswise into ½ inch thin strips
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ¼ teaspoon season with spice finely ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, but we prefer peanut oil
• 5 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon season with spice red chili flakes
• ½ cup roughly chopped red onion
• 1 handful of snow peas, already trimmed
• ½ red bell pepper, already cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed without the seeds

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry (optional)
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

PROCEDURE:

• In a large bowl, toss the chicken strips with toasted sesame oil and the white pepper.  Marinate them for at least 10 minutes.
• In another small bowl, stir together the rice wine, the soy sauce, the dark soy sauce, the Chinese rice wine, (if you are using), the brown sugar, and the cornstarch and set them aside for frying. 
• To start frying, heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and spread them out as much as possible.  Sear them for 1 minute until the edges are lightly browned, then stir to cook all the sides until just cooked through – say about 2 to 3 minutes more.   Then you can transfer the chicken to a clean bowl, but leave the oil in the wok.  
• This time, heat the wok on low fire, and when it is hot, add the garlic, the ginger, and the red chili flakes.  Stir fry for another 30 seconds or until they are fragrant.  Then turn up the heat to high and add in the snow peas and the red onion, and then stir them for another 30 seconds.  This time you can add the red bell pepper and veggies stirring constantly for one minute more.
• Then give a quick stir on the prepared sauce and add them to the wok, stirring them continuously until they thicken, for about 30 seconds.  Add a bit of water if necessary.
• Add in the chicken back to the wok and toss well, to cook for another 30 seconds.  Turn the fire off and then transfer them to a serving plate. 
• Serve immediately while they are hot over cooked white rice. 

Enjoy this stir fried chicken recipe and please continue cooking.

You can also visit here to learn on how to cook Stir Fried Chicken.