Chicken and broccoli are a wonderful combination. In this Vietnamese-inspired recipe, the chicken is first marinated, then fried, before being paired with crunchy green broccoli. In Vietnam, Chinese broccoli, which is slightly more woody and bitter, would be used. But here I use the variety found in the West, which is sweeter, with a distinctive, mild flavour. Chicken thighs are used because of their robust taste, which holds up well to the frying. Serve with rice (see here) and a vegetable dish for a wholesome meal.
| Informal supper |
| Preparation time 50 minutes |
| Serves 4 |
450 g (1 lb) (2 heads) broccoli
450 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
cornflour (cornstarch), for dusting
400 ml (14 fl oz) groundnut (peanut) oil, plus 1 tablespoon
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 small onion, quartered
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons water or Chicken Stock (see here)
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
FOR THE MARINADE:
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 Separate the broccoli heads into small florets and peel and slice the stems. Blanch the broccoli pieces in a large pan of boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, then drain and immerse in cold water. Drain again thoroughly.
2 Cut the chicken into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces and combine them with the marinade ingredients. Mix well and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Dust the chicken pieces with cornflour, shaking off any excess.
3 Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the 400 ml (14 fl oz) oil. When it is very hot and slightly smoking, deep-fry the chicken pieces for 8 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. You may have to do this in 2 or more batches.
4 Drain off all the oil, reheat the wok and add the tablespoon of oil. When it is hot, add the garlic and onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Then add the blanched broccoli and stir-fry for 1 minute longer. Add the Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry and water or stock and stir-fry over a moderate to high heat for 4 minutes, until the broccoli is thoroughly heated through.
5 Add the tomatoes, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and sesame oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then add the drained chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly heated through. Transfer to a warm platter and serve at once.