Serves 4

Ingredients


  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 Tbsp. sambal oelek (Asian chili sauce)
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp. rice wine or sake (or rice vinegar)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
  • One 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate
  • 2 small celery stalks, thinly sliced, plus 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped celery leaves
  • 2 large shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
  • 1/2 pound snow peas, ends trimmed
  • 1/4 cup drained and sliced water chestnuts
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 hot red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

    Directions


    Total time: 30 minutes

    Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add the sambal oelek, cornstarch, rice wine and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and toss to coat. Set aside.

    Set a large, heavy skillet over very high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil ripples (Andrew refers to this as "when it smiles"), add the ginger, garlic and scallion greens and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the celery, celery leaves, shallots, sugar and peanuts and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.

    Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and let it get quite hot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sit for a moment before stirring; then cook, stirring, until well browned and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the snow peas and water chestnuts and cook, stirring, until the snow peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

    Add the reserved ginger and celery mixture, along with the final 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a couple tablespoons of water, and scrape up the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then stir everything together and season to taste with salt.

    Transfer the chicken to a platter and scatter the scallion whites and chili, if using, on top. Serve immediately.

    Chef Tips from Andrew Zimmern


    On Cutting Chicken
    Cut boneless chicken thighs into 3 sections. Then cut each third into an even dice.

    On Cornstarch
    Don't be afraid to use cornstarch. It helps tighten the sauce and gives the chicken a twice-cooked slippery quality that people associate with good Chinese wok cookery. It makes the meat soft and tender.

    On the Smartest Addition to a Stir-Fry
    Celery has a very strong flavor (think about its effect in chicken stock) that makes it a staple of Chinese cooking.

    On Prepping Ginger
    Use a spoon to scrape off the skin. Then cut a thin slice off one side so it sits flat on the cutting board and you're not fighting a ball as you slice it.

    On Soy Sauce
    Be sure to taste your soy sauce before using it. Soy sauce that's been sitting in your cupboard or refrigerator will be stronger because some of the liquid will have evaporated.

    On Scallions
    Use scallions in cooking, and for finishing a dish, too. The green parts have a tart acidity—a nice balance to the sweetness of the cooked whites.

    On Flipping Ingredients in a Pan
    To learn to flip ingredients as you sauté, practice with peanuts or dried beans (something easy to pick up and cheap!). You're just pushing them up and then catching them. Push and catch, push and catch. But don't throw them up too high.

    Chef Variation
    To "velvet" the chicken, soak it overnight in a mixture of cornstarch, rice wine and chilies, and then stir-fry it.

    From Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen by Dana Cowin. Copyright 2014 Dana Cowin. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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