Chicken Stir Fry
This is a dish that I do once in a while when I get the urge for Chinese takeout. The directions may seem a bit bumpy but what you are trying to do is not overcook any one item. That's why you start with the carrots first then the peppers etc.
This is a dish that I do once in a while when I get the urge for Chinese takeout. The directions may seem a bit bumpy but what you are trying to do is not overcook any one item. That's why you start with the carrots first then the peppers etc.
- salt to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- sauce:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 lb white chicken meat cubed
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
- 2 scallion greens sliced
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into thin strips
- 1 small bok choy cleaned and sliced
- 3 stalks celery sliced thin
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced thin
- 1 cup snow pea pods
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 dried chile peppers
- 3 tablespoons pearl river bridge lite soy sauce
- Carbohydrate 20.5888744969107 g
- Cholesterol 10.295 mg
- Fat 12.2029678253767 g
- Fiber 7.79567027965135 g
- Protein 14.8691333133065 g
- Saturated Fat 1.24324465729605 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (446g)
- Sodium 844.792265251191 mg
- Sugar 12.7932042172593 g
- Trans Fat 1.12543901497268 g
- Calories 229 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Heat both the canola and sesame oils in a large skillet or wok on medium high heat.
- Add the Chile peppers, garlic and ginger and saute for about one minute.
- Add chicken and lightly brown for about 4 minutes stirring frequently so garlic and ginger don't burn.
- With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, garlic, ginger and chile pepper leaving the now infused oil in pan.
- Add the carrots and saute for about 1 minute then add the red bell pepper and celery.
- Saute for about one minute and then add half of the scallions.
- Also add the bean sprouts, snow pea pods and saute for another minute.
- Add the chicken, garlic, ginger back into the pan along with the sauce.
- Stir constantly for about two minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly and chicken is warmed through.
- Season with salt if needed.
- Serve over white rice.
- I usually have a little extra lite soy sauce on the side.
- Garnish with the remaining scallions.
Most home cooks dump every vegetable into the pan at once, guaranteeing a watery disaster of uniform mush. A successful skillet preparation relies entirely on thermal conductivity and water content. Dense root vegetables like carrots require more energy to soften than tender shoots like snow peas, meaning staggered introduction is the only way to achieve uniform doneness. Cooking requires managing moisture release; vegetables dumped simultaneously steam in their own expelled water rather than searing in oil.
Staggered Cooking Physics
Heat transfer in a wok demands high temperatures, typically starting around 400 degrees Fahrenheit, to vaporize surface moisture instantly before the cellular walls of the produce collapse. By extracting the aromatics and chicken early, the infused oil remains clear of burnt particles while retaining capsaicin and allicin compounds from the dried chiles and garlic. Reintroducing the protein only for the final two minutes prevents the lean white meat from losing internal moisture and turning fibrous.
- If vegetables release excessive liquid, turn the burner to maximum output and keep the pan moving to evaporate pooling water.
- Store cooked portions in an airtight glass container within the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheat leftovers gently in a skillet with a splash of water rather than a microwave to preserve residual crunch.
