ginger chicken snap peas, and bok choy with Garlicky Brown B

• servings: 4-6
• total time: 15 mins

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 garlic cloves

1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger

10 to 16 ounces snap peas (however big the bag is at your store)

1 small (not baby) head bok choy (about 1 pound)

1½ cups short-grain white rice, rinsed

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Neutral oil

¼ cup fresh orange juice (see Learn)

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar (light or dark)

Toppings (optional): sesame seeds (toasted, if you have them!), sriracha

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium-low heat until it foams, then cook until the milk solids drop to the bottom and turn brown and the butterfat turns golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes total.

2. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and mince or grate the ginger (no need to peel it). Cut the snap peas into 1-inch pieces, if you want (or leave them whole), and roughly chop the bok choy.

3. Add the rice and half the garlic to the pot with the brown butter. Stir to coat and cook until toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in 2½ cups water and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce. Turn up the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes, or until ready to serve.

4. Meanwhile, trim any fat off the chicken, then cut the meat into 1-inch cubes (see Learn) and season with ½ teaspoon salt and some pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the flour and toss to coat. It's okay if it doesn't all stick, but you want each piece to be covered with flour.

5. Warm enough oil to coat the bottom of your largest skillet (about 2 tablespoons for a 12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat. While it's heating, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, the orange juice, honey, remaining garlic, the ginger, and the remaining 2 teaspoons flour.

6. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until browned all over, 4 to 6 minutes per side, flipping halfway through. Add the snap peas and bok choy, scattering them around and on top of the chicken, and cook until bright green, another minute. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, 1 to 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on things —you want the sauce to get saucy, not reduce to the point of burning.

7. Uncover the rice and use a fork to gently fluff it. Assemble bowls with rice, chicken and veggies, and plenty of sauce. Finish with sesame seeds and sriracha, if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Learn

1 large orange typically yields 1/4c of juice

shortcut

if you do need to make the dish even snappier, use store-bought frozen rice; once it's cooked, simply stir in some butter, garlic powder, and salt to season it.

swap

if you can't find bok choy at the store, simply double the snap peas.