Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry

Subject: Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry September 19th 2008, 11:54 pm

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry

Game plan: Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

1 lb. chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. sugar (or Splenda)
1 T., plus 1 t. cornstarch (or xanthum gum, to reduce carbs)
1 1/4 t. salt
1 T. dry sherry
1 T. dark sesame oil
About 1/3 c. water
3 T. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
5 to 6 c. broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
3/4 to 1 t. red chili flakes, optional
1 T. hoisin sauce
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 t. cornstarch, 1 t. salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 c. water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 T. oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 T. water, and season with 1/4 t. salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more T. oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce. Return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice. (I use brown rice.)

Notes: The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time. Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions. The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?

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