Minted Pesto Chicken Stir-fry
This nice blend of mint and pine nuts stir-fried with tender chicken and mushrooms has something really special and I think this stir-fry can easily become a classic in your house.
This nice blend of mint and pine nuts stir-fried with tender chicken and mushrooms has something really special and I think this stir-fry can easily become a classic in your house.
- Carbohydrate 127.276790005159 g
- Cholesterol 47.14625 mg
- Fat 46.8456250217156 g
- Fiber 36.4945001325057 g
- Protein 116.407180003275 g
- Saturated Fat 7.65386800236754 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (3355g)
- Sodium 681.639500012086 mg
- Sugar 90.7822898726535 g
- Trans Fat 8.99932450191437 g
- Calories 1183 calories
Step-by-step
- Process the mint and pine nuts in a food processor and slowly integrate the olive oil.
- Heat the wok and stir-fry the chicken with your chosen fat.
- Remove the chicken from the wok, reheat and stir-fry the onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the wok and stir in the mint pesto. Cook for another 3 minutes, until everything is hot.
Fresh mint leaves drive the entire flavor profile of this dish, yet raw herbs thrown directly into a hot wok turn bitter and black within seconds. Transforming those leaves into a thick emulsion with pine nuts and olive oil protects the delicate volatile oils from direct scorching heat. Many cooks attempt to substitute basil or cilantro for the mint, but soft herbs possess drastically different moisture levels and cell structures that alter how the sauce binds to the fat in the pan. Basil pesto absorbs less oil and burns faster, leaving an acrid flavor behind.
High heat management remains the primary failure point in this recipe. Woks require preheating until a drop of water evaporates instantly upon contact. Overcrowding the pan with four hundred fifty grams of mushrooms drops the surface temperature below the threshold needed for browning. Cook the mushrooms in a single layer for two minutes without moving them to develop proper caramelization. Reintroduce the chicken and fold in the pesto during the final three minutes only to warm the mixture through without breaking the emulsion.
