Black Pepper Chicken

SERVES 4

GLUTEN-FREE · DAIRY-FREE · PALEO · WHOLE30 · GRAIN-FREE

Total time: 30 minutes

You know those days when you look in your fridge to take inventory and think, What in the world will I do with all this celery? Well, that happens pretty often on this end. Luckily, when it does, I can turn to this dish, which is one of my favorite ways to get some good use out of that celery. Also, you may recognize this dish from a popular Chinese drive-through chain. This is my much-cleaner rendition that’s naturally low-carb, yet completely satisfying. And the decadent and bold black pepper sauce puts it over the top.

• for the black pepper sauce
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (I use Red Boat)
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (see Note)
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• for the chicken
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 4 celery stalks, ends trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• Prepared Cauliflower Rice, for serving (optional)

make the black pepper sauce In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce, black pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside until ready to use.

make the chicken Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet to pound the chicken until it is an even ¼ inch thick. Discard the parchment, then cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.

Place the cubed chicken in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons of the avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then add the arrowroot and toss again.

In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining ¼ cup avocado oil. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the celery and onion to the same skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, being careful not to burn, 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken and vegetables.

Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt to taste. Serve as is or with cauliflower rice, and top with a sprinkle of pepper.

from MY KITCHEN to YOURS

Regular old ground black pepper just doesn’t work in this dish! It’s essential that you use freshly cracked black pepper.