serves 2 or 3
As much as I’ve loved Chinese takeout food—the cheap, filling, completely inauthentic stuff I used to have delivered from my neighborhood joint on a regular basis—I recently gave it up. I’ve become horrified by what I assume is a meal composed of factory-farm chicken and CAFO beef. Not to say I’m a total purist when it comes to meats, but giving up meaty stir-fries in takeout Chinese? That I can do.
So these days, when I get a hankering for inauthentic Chinese food, I scratch the itch by making it myself.
And here’s what I’ve learned, something I’ve long known in theory but never really lived: Stir-fries are easy. They are quick. The hardest part is cutting up the ingredients, but once that is done, dinner practically is, too.
In this recipe, I use humanely raised boneless chicken thighs (breasts also work if you like white meat), marinated in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to give them a deep, nutty flavor. Then I add mushrooms and leeks to the pan as the vegetable factor. (Stir-fries always need a vegetable factor.) Mushrooms work especially well because they add a meaty character that deepens the flavor of the chicken. Then I garnish everything with loads of chopped peanuts for crunch and a shower of cilantro for a fresh, herby flavor. Together they help make a dish that’s a cut above the usual takeout, in so many ways.
2 tablespoons soy sauce (less if you are using dark soy or tamari, which are stronger)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus more for serving
1½ tablespoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil
2 teaspoons light brown sugar or granulated sugar
¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons peanut oil
½ pound oyster mushrooms, sliced ½ inch thick
2 to 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced (see Note, here)
Pinch kosher salt (optional)
3 tablespoons finely chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Steamed rice, for serving
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and brown sugar. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with half the marinade (reserve the other half for stir-frying) and half the chopped ginger and garlic. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours (longer than that and the chicken will get mushy).
2. Heat a large 12-inch or so skillet over the highest heat until the pan is screaming hot, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and tilt the skillet so that the bottom is evenly coated with the oil. Lift the chicken from the marinade (shake off any excess liquid) and add it to the hot skillet. Cook, stirring constantly and quickly, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes for breasts and 3 to 4 minutes for thigh meat. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are browned and soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the reserved marinade. Push the vegetables to the border of the pan, leaving an open space in the middle. Add the remaining chopped ginger and garlic to the open space. Mash it around with your spoon until it is tender and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan and quickly toss it with the ginger, garlic, and vegetables. Taste and add a pinch of salt if it needs it.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the peanuts and cilantro. Mound the stir-fry over steamed rice, and sprinkle judiciously with rice vinegar before serving.