We do stir frys on the regular, but in the last year or so I’ve learned a couple of secrets that have dramatically upped my stir fry game. Apparently it’s all in the method.
1) Velvet the chicken*–this is the biggest game changer
2) Have everything ready to go, including meat and vegetables chopped and sauce made–I mean, I guess this isn’t really a secret; maybe everyone already does this, but, like starting with a clean kitchen, this tip is money
3) Use one pan–first do your meat (then remove it), then add vegetables in order of cooking time needed, then add the meat back, and finish with your sauce (just long enough to coat everything really)
The nice thing about stir frys is that they are so flexible. This one is my go-to recipe, but it is endlessly changeable depending on what you have (or don’t have) on hand:
*Velvet the chicken–I’m guessing it’s called this because it makes the chicken velvety? I don’t know; I just know this method keeps the chicken from being dry or chewy. I’ll never skip this step if I can help it.
- 1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips or cubes
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
Combine all these ingredients together and then marinate the chicken while you prepare the sauce and vegetables. Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a medium/large saucepan or wok-like pan.
When your sauce is made and vegetables chopped, boil the chicken for three minutes, drain, and set aside.
Prepare the sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I usually leave this out per family preference)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos (you can also use soy sauce, but since it has a stronger flavor, I’d probably use less)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Combine all these ingredients and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables
Go crazy with whatever you like. I usually use about
- 1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- 1-2 carrots, sliced
- 1-2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
Put it all together
- oil
- vegetables you’ve prepared
- chicken you’ve velveted
- sauce you’ve prepared
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or wok (I use the same large pot/skillet/saucepan thing I used earlier for the chicken).
- Add the vegetables and sauté until almost tender (usually about 5 minutes for the onions and carrots; I’m usually fairly lazy and throw all in at once, but you could go crazy and add the faster-cooking vegetables later).
- Add the chicken back to the pan and then add the sauce.
- Toss and let cook for just a couple of minutes to let the flavors blend.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
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