Kung Fu Chicken (over Brown Rice)
If you have a wok, or a cast iron braiser, a large heavy bottomed sauté pan or a large skillet with high sides, you can easily manage this great meal in your own kitchen. Making it at home sure beats ordering out, especially since you control ingredients. There are plenty of steps the kids can help with too. Our version of this recipe was inspired by Ming Tsai’s, owner of the Blue Ginger restaurant, Kung Pao chicken.
This is a stir fry. The technique here is universally simple: You are merely browning chicken bits and then making a Mirepoix, also called ‘the Trinity’ in French, Spanish, Cajun, Italian and even Greek cooking— sautéing peppers, carrots and celery. What I really like about cooking in this fashion is its simplicity. Since the bones of the recipe are strong, you can substitute or add any number of vegetables, depending on what you like or have on hand. Broccoli is a wonderful addition, for instance. Feel free to add unsalted peanuts, cashews or just plain old mixed nuts toward the end of cooking process. They add a nice contrasting taste and texture to the mix.
Fresh Ginger Root is an integral key to the dish. The root has a completely different flavor compared to what it tastes like in soda or in baking—it’s hot, pungently fragrant and provides the necessary concupiscent heat akin to Asian and Indian cuisine. When sautéed with garlic it becomes really aromatic and wonderful. If you want your Kung Fu Chicken really spicy then grate the ginger instead of slicing it. Use the side of a spoon to scrape the fibrous skin off the root. Then slice or grate what you need. Store the remaining root in the freezer, it keeps for quite awhile.
Some of the original recipes’ ingredients are not pantry staples so we have simplified the dish so that you and your family can make this delicious, quick and light meal any night of the week.
Taste as you go along. And remember you’re not frying; you only need a small amount of oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Ingredients;
2 Cups Brown Rice, cooked
2 lbs. Chicken Breast and/or Thighs, diced
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
5 Carrots, chopped
3 stalks Celery chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger Root, sliced thinly
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
¼ cup Corn Starch
¼ Cup Water
2 tbsp. Sugar
½ Cup Low Salt Soy Sauce, or to taste
Juice and Zest of ½ a Lemon
Vegetable Oil (Olive, Canola, Grape seed,) to cover bottom of the pan
Procedure:
1. Cook 2 cups of brown rice in 4 cups of boiling water for 45 minutes. Meanwhile prep your main course ingredients and make a ‘slurry’ with the corn starch, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar and water.
2. With about 10 minutes left for the rice to be done, Heat your wok or pan to high heat. Carefully add in the oil and lightly brown your chicken pieces. Be careful not to overcook them this will only take minutes. They are small and will become overdone very soon. Season with a slight sprinkle of Salt and Pepper. Remove to a plate.
3. Lightly cook the garlic and the ginger in the pan. About 1 minute.
4. Add your chopped carrots (they need more time to soften) to the same pan and scrape up the tiny brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Sauté quickly, it’s Ok to add a little water if the pan gets too hot and dry.
5. Add the remaining vegetables. When tender, add the Soy Sauce / sugar/corn starch mixture, Followed by the lemon zest and return the chicken, mix well and warm through.
6. Plate the brown rice in a bowl or platter and serve the Kung Fu over the rice.
Tip: To turn up the heat –add a teaspoon of crushed Black, Szechuan or Tellicherry peppercorns to the mix during Step 5.
