| Recipe: Spicy Peanut/Chicken Stir-Fry |
[Wed, 11 Jan 2017 ,0639]
Ace Lightning
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| [ | current mood |
| |  hungry | ] |
Spicy Peanut Stir-Fry
(Makes 2 modest servings or 1 large serving - see Note 1)
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
Approximately 8 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh), cut into bite-size pieces
Half a bag of watercress, leaves only
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger, or more if you like
(Optional: finely chopped garlic "to taste")
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Szechuan pepper (if not available, double the black pepper)
1 teaspoon "raw" sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili paste, chopped chili pepper, or sriracha sauce (see Note 2)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (see Note 3)
2 tablespoons mirin or Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
2 tablespoons "Lite" (lower sodium) soy sauce
1/2 cup of crushed peanuts
A handful of whole peanuts
Have all ingredients measured and ready. Blend the black pepper, Szechuan pepper, and sugar. In a wok or deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the chicken until almost all of it turns white. Add the watercress leaves, and stir-fry until they wilt. Add the ginger (and optional garlic) and stir-fry about 30 seconds, until it smells good. Add the sugar mixture and the chili, and stir-fry until it's all evenly distributed. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and keep stirring while you wait for it to cool off a little. Put the peanut butter on top of the mixture in the wok, so it doesn't scorch. Stir it in quickly, and add the wine and soy sauce. Stir until the sauce is smooth, then raise the heat until the sauce begins to boil. Mix in the crushed peanuts. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the whole peanuts over the top, and serve with plain rice.
Note 1: If you serve another dish, such as a simple steamed or stir-fried vegetable, this will make a filling meal for 2 to 3 people. Without any other dish, this is a lavish meal for one.
Note 2: This is supposed to be spicy - about as spicy as you can stand! The balance between the hot spices and the earthy peanut flavor is what makes this dish.
Note 3: Most brands of peanut butter, even the "natural" ones, contain oils other than peanut oil, and/or some form of sugar, to keep them from separating. They taste nasty in stir-fries! A good brand that contains nothing but peanuts and salt is Wild Friends, and it comes in convenient 2-tablespoon packets.
Bonus Recipe (to serve with the above)
Quick Stir-Fried Green Beans
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger and/or
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 box "French-cut" (slivered) green beans
Any one of the following:
A handful of slivered almonds
A handful of shredded carrots from the salad bar
A small can of mushrooms, sliced or "stems and pieces" (drained)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Either thaw the package of green beans in advance, or put them in a strainer and run cool tap water over them until they separate. Drain thoroughly. Heat the oil to medium-high in a wok or skillet. Add the ginger and/or garlic and stir-fry quickly, just until you can smell them cooking. Add the drained beans and stir-fry until heated through and slightly "cooked"-looking. If you're using almonds, add them and stir-fry until they brown a little bit; if you're using the carrots or mushrooms, add them and stir-fry until they're hot. Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the mixture, stir to combine, remove from heat, and serve.
Variation:
Use equal amounts of French-cut beans, shredded carrots, and bean sprouts, and just cook them all together with the seasonings. Very colorful!
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