99 Ranch, a market in Richmond that specializes in Asian (particularly strong in Chinese and Japanese) groceries, always inspires me to try something new. Their unique selection of specialty items is really unparalleled.
Anywho, I picked up some baby Bok Choy, a miniaturized version of the popular Chinese cabbage, that I feel is easier to work with in a stir fry and provides more of a crunch.
I also wanted to try some rice rolls. I've only had a similar type of dish at a local Korean restaurant that I really liked so I thought I'd give them a try. I heard they are popular in Vietnamese (they are also called Banh Cuon, or "rolled pastry") and Chinese cooking. The pleasantly plump noodles come in a saran-wrapped package in the refrigerated noodle and bread section. This package in particular came with pieces of dried shrimp and green onion. Although my friend J-Funk recommended the plain ones, I couldn't resist the red and green speckles that just made them seem even more jolly.
J-Funk recommended that I steam them and I found out that other sites recommend it as well. So a 5-minute steam (even along with the Bok Choy too?) is an easy way to make a quick meal out of the Banh Cuon, but I wanted to go for pan-frying. Ever since I purchased my 12-inch stainless steel All Clad fry pan, I've always been leaning towards stir fry.
I always liked the taste of XO sauce when I ordered it from restaurants so I gave it a try. It usually has some sort of seafood (dried shrimp, fish or scallop), but I guess I accidentally bought a vegetarian variety (uses tofu and shitake mushrooms...and a little of my good friend MSG) which tasted fine. So there you go vegetarians! You too can have XO sauce if you make your Chinese food at home!
So here's the recipe (everything is kind of haphazard, do with it what you will):
-1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes or strips
-4 baby bok choy bunches
-1/2 package Rice Rolls
-2 Tablespoons XO Sauce
-2 tsp. grated ginger (1 inch cube grated, OPTIONAL)
-4 green onions
-1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (2 tsp for chicken, 2 tsp for vegetables)
Chicken Marinade:
-3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
-1-1.5 Tbsp. Sugar
-1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
-Couple dashes Maggi Sauce
-2-3 tsp. cornstarch
1. Combine all marinade ingredients in large container (I have a Tupperware that I just use for raw meat marinades). The idea behind the soy sauce and sugar is to create a brining situation that keeps the meat juicy and tender without losing too much water weight. The cornstarch is a technique called "velveting" where the cornstarch provides a sort of, protective layer on the outside of the chicken which allows the inside more time to cook without the outside burning. This is necessary for larger cubes of meat and I just feel adds to the texture of chicken.
2. Refrigerate marinating chicken for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour or so. (can go longer)
3. Wash and cut off the ends of the baby bok choy to separate the individual leaves. Grate the ginger. Wash and slice the white ends (up to the whitish green area) on the green onions, discarding the green tops and the rooted bottoms.
4. Cut the rice rolls into 2 to 3-inch long segments for easier cooking and eating.
5. Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
6. Pat chicken dry as much as possible using paper towels (this allows a nice brown color to develop, the sugar added earlier also adds to the brown color via carmelization) and cook until the thickest piece is no longer pink when cut open. About 5-7 minutes depending on your pan.
7. Place chicken on another plate or in a bowl and cover with tin foil.
8. Heat remaining vegetable oil in skillet until shimmering. Add ginger (optional) and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Then add 2 Tbsp. XO Sauce. I made the mistake of just adding XO sauce since it has soybean oil already in it, but that, ladies and gentlemen, was a fail. The sediment of tofu and mushrooms burned before the oil could reach any commendable temperature.
9. Add the noodles first, then the bok choy when the noodles are browned (about 3 minutes if you do it right I think). When done the noodles will become limp, but not to the point where they cannot hold their own shape. The bok choy will change from a pale to a darker green and become slightly wilted.
10. Add the sliced green onions for garnish and serve!
Again, this is totally something I made up, but it was an easy meal and fun to make and eat! I'll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow and let you know how it was!
No comments:
Post a Comment