Chicken And Broccoli Stir Fry

• servings: 6

Ingredients

- 2.5 cups short-grain white rice

- 2.5 cups water

- 2.2 lb (1kg) boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs)

- 8 cloves garlic

- 1 tbsp (12g) grated ginger

- 4 green onions, divided

- 1/2 carrot (120g) (or 1 red chili)

- 2 broccoli, about 14 oz (400g) in total (or asparagus, brussels sprouts, green beans, etc.)

- Kosher salt, to season

- 4 tbsp neutral-tasting oil, divided

- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

- Generous pinch of toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Stir Fry Sauce:

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 4 tbsp oyster sauce

- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional), for color

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder

- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or mirin, soju, dry sherry, water, etc.)

- 10 tbsp (150ml) water

- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch

Marinade:

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or mirin, soju, dry sherry, water, etc.)

- 1/2 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 2 tbsp cornstarch

- 1 tbsp neutral oil (such as grape seed, canola, vegetable oil, etc.)

Directions

Cook Rice

1) Wash the rice to remove any dust or debris. Drain and repeat two or three times. Add the same amount of water to the bowl and pop it into a rice cooker. Press the “pressure cook” button.

Make Sauce

1) While the rice is cooking, make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small container and mix well.

Marinate Chicken

1) Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and give it a good massage. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Prepare Vegetables

1) Finely chop the garlic cloves. Grate a small knob of ginger (1 tbsp). Thinly slice the green onions, saving some for garnish. Thinly slice the carrot. (If you want to add some spicy kick to it, you can replace it with a red chili.)

2) Cut off the florets of broccoli. Cut them into bite-sized pieces. You’ll need about 14 oz (400g) in total.

Make Chicken and Broccoli

1) Blanch broccoli: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lightly season with salt and add the broccoli. Blanch for 1 minute. Shock them in some ice water. Drain well. (You can skip the blanching and just stir-fry it if you want, but this will help keep its beautiful color and cut down your cooking time.)

2) Cook the chicken: In a wok (or pan), add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it over high heat. Once it’s heated, add the marinated chicken. (Depending on the size of your wok, you can do this in batches.) Spread it out and let it sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove it from the pan and set that aside.

3) To the same wok, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it over medium heat. Once it gets nice and hot, add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onions. Saute for 1 minute or until fragrant.

4) Increase the heat to high. Add the drained broccoli and sliced carrot. Stir-fry it for 1 minute. Add the chicken back into the wok. Stir them around for 1 minute.

5) Give the sauce a quick stir and add it to the wok. Stir everything together for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce gets thickened. Turn the heat off. Add the sesame oil and sesame seeds. Give it a final mix.

Assemble

1) Divide the rice into microwave-safe containers. (Because I’m more into muscle gain, I divided it into 5 servings, but if this is too many calories (743 Calories per serving) for you, you can divide it into 6 or 7.)

2) Evenly distribute the chicken and broccoli. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!