Farmers Market Spicy Thai
My wife and I came across some spicy Thai noodles at the local farmers market. Very Good!
My wife and I came across some spicy Thai noodles at the local farmers market. Very Good!
- Carbohydrate 4.2482 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.1232 g
- Fiber 1.25950004458427 g
- Protein 0.9196 g
- Saturated Fat 0.02178 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (66g)
- Sodium 141.35 mg
- Sugar 2.98869995541573 g
- Trans Fat 0.05291 g
- Calories 19 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the chicken in a wok with oil until just tender and set aside (do not over cook).
- Sautee sliced peppers and onions with mushrooms and garlic in left over oil (do not over cook).
- Add chicken and both sauces with a handful of fresh basil.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Top with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.
- Serve.
Chicken dictates the textural integrity of this dish long before it ever touches the wok. Cutting the meat into uniform strips ensures that heat penetrates evenly across every piece, preventing the exterior from scorching while the interior remains raw. Cooking poultry just until it turns opaque and registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit prevents the fibers from tightening into rubbery, dry morsels. Removing the meat immediately leaves behind rendered fats and residual pan juices that become the foundational cooking medium for the aromatics. When sliced thin and heated rapidly, chicken releases minimal water, which is critical for maintaining high-heat searing conditions rather than accidental steaming.
Vegetables introduce destructive moisture that ruins crisp-tender textures if the wok lacks sufficient thermal mass. Crowding the pan drops the temperature instantly, causing peppers, onions, and mushrooms to release their internal water content and boil in their own juices instead of developing desirable caramelized edges. Keeping the heat high and moving the aromatics continuously allows steam to escape rapidly, preserving a slight crunch in the bell peppers and preventing the mushrooms from becoming spongy. If canned mushrooms are substituted for fresh ones, drain them thoroughly and press them between paper towels to remove excess packing liquid before adding them to the hot oil.
Stir-fry sauces containing high sugar content burn easily if added too early to a dry wok. Pouring the spicy Thai sauce and stir-fry sauce in during the final two to three minutes coats the ingredients in a glossy glaze without caramelizing the sugars into bitter compounds. Fresh basil added at this exact closing stage withers just enough from residual heat to release essential oils without turning black and slimy. Adjusting heat downward during this final stage stops the cooking process instantly when the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken and vegetables.
