SERVES 3 TO 4 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 TO 8 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
This is a terrific choice for a fall dinner, when there’s a chill in the air and the soul needs warming. Or if your soul is chilly and it’s winter, simply substitute a handful of red chard for the bell peppers.
VELVET MARINADE AND CHICKEN:
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pound skinless, boneless fresh chicken breasts (2 pounds with skin and bone), cut into 1-inch cubes
AROMATICS:
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped Chinese black beans (do not rinse them)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
¾ to 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
SAUCE:
1 cup China Moon Infusion (page 72), China Moon Double Stock (page 72), or unsalted chicken stock
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Serrano-Lemongrass Vinegar (page 19) or distilled white vinegar
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Mushroom soy sauce—infused with dried black (shiitake) mushrooms—is the flavorful star of the black soy sauce family, lending great savor to a dish such as this. There is no substitute, but if you are hankering for the sandpot and are without the special soy, use 3½ tablespoons of a good-tasting regular soy sauce (the greater amount being needed because black soys are stronger) and maybe add a handful of sliced wild mushrooms to the pot.
1 small carrot, cut diagonally into rippled or plain coins ⅛ inch thick
1 small green or yellow zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 to 3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for stir-frying
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch squares
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
¾ cup domestic white or brown (crimini) mushrooms, halved, or quartered if large
1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ⅛-inch half-moons
1½ cups Napa cabbage squares (1 inch)
Scant ½ teaspoon minced Chinese black beans, for garnish
Diagonally cut green and white scallion rings, for garnish
1. In a bowl, briskly whisk together the marinade ingredients through the cornstarch until smooth and thick. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover and marinate for 3 to 24 hours, refrigerated. Let come to room temperature and re-toss before cooking.
2. Combine the aromatics through the red chili flakes in a small bowl; cover until ready to use.
3. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
4. Blanch the carrot in a generous amount of boiling water until half-cooked, 20 to 30 seconds. Immerse the carrots in ice water to chill. Drain and set aside. Return the water to a boil, blanch the zucchini for 5 seconds; then, chill and drain.
5. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to glaze the pan. When the oil is hot enough to foam a bit of scallion on contact, reduce the heat to moderate. Add the aromatics and stir gently until fully fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, adjusting the heat so they foam without browning. Add the onion and toss until a bit softened, 2 minutes. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and toss for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and leek, and toss for 2 minutes more. Adjust the heat to maintain a merry sizzle and drizzle a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Don’t worry if the vegetables brown a bit; they will be flavorful. Add the Napa cabbage and toss until the cabbage is slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add the carrots and zucchini, and toss to combine.
6. Spread the vegetables on a large platter to cool. All the above may be done up to a day in advance. Seal and refrigerate the ingredients; bring to room temperature before the final cooking.
7. About 20 minutes before serving, bring 4 cups of water to a steaming near simmer. Add the chicken, stir gently to separate the cubes, and cook until the outside is 90 percent white, 40 to 50 seconds. Drain immediately and set aside. The chicken will be cooked on the outside but a bit raw in the center.
8. Arrange the vegetables in the bottom of a 2- to 3-quart Chinese sandpot or other heavy casserole. Stir the sauce and add it to the pot. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook the vegetables until hot and tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, fold the chicken into the pot, then replace the cover and let the casserole stand undisturbed for 1 minute to cook the chicken through. Serve promptly, garnished with a light sprinkling of minced black beans and a flurry of scallion rings.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: I love potatoes with this dish—boiled little potatoes, Wok-Seared New Potatoes (page 424), Crispy Potatoes (page 425), or mashed big potatoes! As a refreshment, you could follow the sandpot with a salad of baby greens dressed with Orange Vinaigrette (page 25).