Master Recipe
Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli with Hoisin Sauce
serves four
NOTE: The
secret to this classic stir-fry dish is lots of heat, so preheating
the pan is crucial. After cooking the chicken, steam the broccoli
in the same skillet over medium heat. When the broccoli is tender
but still crisp, remove it to a plate to prevent further cooking.
Turn the heat back to high and finish this dish in a sizzling hot
skillet. If you like your stir-fries hot and spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon of hot
pepper flakes to the pan with the garlic, ginger, and
scallions.
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, fat trimmed and tendons removed (see figures 1 and 2); rinsed and thoroughly dried; cut into uniform pieces (see figures 13 through 15)
11/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
4 tablespoons peanut oil
11/4 pounds broccoli, florets broken into bite-sized pieces; stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick ovals
1/3 cup water
2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced scallions, white parts only
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sherry in medium bowl; set aside, tossing once or twice.
2. Mix remaining 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce with hoisin sauce, chicken stock, and sesame oil in small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat a 12-or 14-inch nonstick skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain chicken. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan and swirl so that it evenly coats pan bottom. Heat oil until it just starts to shimmer and smoke. Add chicken and stir-fry until seared and three-quarters cooked, about 21/2 to 3 minutes. Scrape cooked chicken and all liquid into clean bowl. Cover and keep warm.
4. Let pan come up to temperature, about 1 minute. When hot, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and swirl so that it evenly coats bottom of pan. When oil just starts to smoke, add broccoli and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add water, cover pan, and lower to medium heat. Steam broccoli until crisptender, about 2 minutes. Transfer broccoli to plate lined with clean kitchen towel.
5. Let pan come up to temperature, about 1 minute. When hot, add another tablespoon peanut oil and swirl so that it evenly coats bottom of pan. When oil just starts to smoke, add shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Clear center of pan and add garlic, ginger, and scallions, drizzle with remaining tablespoon of peanut oil, and stir-fry until fragrant but not colored, 10 to 15 seconds. Add broccoli back to pan, remove pan from heat, and stir scallions, garlic, and ginger into vegetables for 20 seconds.
6. Return pan to heat and add cooked chicken along with its liquid, stir in sauce, and stir-fry until ingredients are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS:
Stir-Fried Chicken and Green Beans with Garlic Sauce
Follow master recipe, making the following changes: In step 2, omit hoisin sauce, increase soy sauce to 2 tablespoons, and add 1 tablespoon sherry and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to soy sauce, chicken stock, and sesame oil. Substitute 11/4 pounds string beans for broccoli and increase steaming time in step 4 to about 4 minutes. Replace mushrooms with 1 five-ounce can sliced water chestnuts and decrease cooking time in step 5 to 30 seconds. Increase garlic to 2 tablespoons.
Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy with Ginger Sauce
Bok choy does not need to be steamed—simply stir-fry it.
Follow master recipe, making the following changes: In step 2, omit hoisin sauce, increase soy sauce to 2 tablespoons, and add 1 tablespoon sherry and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to soy sauce, chicken stock, and sesame oil. Replace broccoli with 1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated and cut into thin strips. In step 4, stir-fry bok choy stalks in 1 tablespoon oil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3 by 1/2-inch strips and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy greens and cook 15 to 30 seconds. Omit mushrooms and the tablespoon of oil used to stir-fry them in step 5. Continue with step 5 of the master recipe by clearing the center of the pan and adding the garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger, and scallions.