WOK WEDNESDAYS: KUNG PAO (wow!) CHICKEN
A French technique for a Chinese speciality dish: Mise En Place. Be sure you have all 18 ingredients on hand. The recipe is quite simple and you will use these products, spices and oils over and over again in Asian cooking.
There have already been two woks in my cooking past. Now, it seems, there will be a third. I prefer “third times the charm” rather than “better luck next time,” don’t you?
Here’s the story. I enjoy reading Catherine’s blog entitled My Culinary Mission. She currently posted a speciality dish entitled Yin Yang Beans. That plate of spicy green beans piqued my palate’s interest as much as it did her describing being part of the Wok Wednesday group piqued my curiosity. Now, I’d heard of Foodie Friday, Daring Bakers, Sunday Suppers, Baked Sunday Morning, Daring Cooks, and belong to French Friday with Dorie and Tuesdays with Dorie/Baking with Julia…………to name a few. But, Wok Wednesdays? That was a language I didn’t speak and had been a failure at cooking it as well.
I went to the library to check out “Stir-Frying To the Sky’s Edge”, the cookbook of choice written by award-winning author Grace Young. At home, with the book in hand, I pulled out my 12-inch skillet and put together Yin Yang Beans. They tasted every bit as good as their name implied. The cookbook seemed, as advertised, “the ultimate guide to mastery, with authentic recipes and stories.” With this book, I reasoned, I could do more with vegetables, portion control and even say “Au revoir” to my local China-a-Go-Go. I signed up and became a Wok Wednesdays wonk. (That’s my moniker, not theirs.)
One pound of chicken, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, is mixed with ginger, garlic, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, salt and cold water.
Combine and stir together chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine as the liquid mixture.
Last night I made Kung Pao Chicken, (p. 113), this week’s recipe choice. Although we are restricted from printing the recipe, you can find it on the New Asian Cuisine site.
The chicken, seared beautifully, was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. While I realize the orange bell pepper is not as colorful as its red sister, the taste was the same. Next time, red.
Although, like in many Asian recipes, there are many ingredients required, they are all easy to find and purchase and will be necessary for upcoming dishes and meals. Why had I thought this so difficult before —- all I needed to do was cut, chop, mince, shred, grate, snip, and pour. The cooking time was less than 8 minutes.
Last night I served this with white rice. For me, a filling meal and because of the sauce, needing no additional soy sauce. When eating the leftovers today, I am going to add this salad I just found on food52:
Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid’s Spicy Cucumber Salad
Adapted very slightly from these authors’ Hot Sour Salty Sweet (Artisan Books, 2000)
Serves 4 as a salad or as one of many dishes in a rice meal. For the technique, directions and, even a video, go to their Link.
1 large or 2 medium European cucumbers
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
5 Thai dried chiles, or 3 for milder heat
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed torn cilantro leaves
If you wish to see other WW’s chefs’ Kung Pau Chicken, go here. I already can confidently suggest you add Grace Young’s “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” to your cookbook library. Delightful, interesting and nutritious recipes. A good read.
My Wok Wednesdays Posts are dedicated to and honor my friendship with cook extraordinaire, Renée Deutsch, who now lives in Arizona. In the 1980s-90s, she and her husband, Bob, owned the Charcuterie, the best deli Aspen has ever known. Late one afternoon in those days, she and I were both at the check-out counter of our local Aspen grocery store. She spotted my groceries, a can each of LaChoy Chicken Chow Mein, Water Chestnuts, and Crispy Noodles. I said, “We feel like Chinese tonight.” I will never forget the look of pure horror on her face. She grabbed the cans, replaced them on the shelves and said, “Mary, just bring Michael and come over for dinner tonight.” We enjoyed an Asian feast that night, one of many food memories while gathered around Bob and Renée’s table. Renée, honey, this “wok’s” for you.
Simply plated. Simply delicious.