Chicken stir fry, with ginger and basil

I was tired on Sunday. After driving to the U.P. Friday, and loading my truck, and then returning from the U.P. Saturday, unloading my truck, and then partying with friends, I was tired all day Sunday. Mostly I just relaxed, with a book.

Around mid afternoon, I started to get hungry. I was in the mood for a stir fry, and checked the freezer. I found a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, which was perfect for my plans. I find it is easiest to slice the chicken, if you only partially thaw it. Here’s how I put this together.

1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh

Soy sauce

White pepper

1 carrot, sliced

1 turnip, peeled and sliced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, sliced lengthwise

Fresh ginger, inch by inch and a half, 

1 bell pepper, cut into pieces

4 long thin hot peppers, halved

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

Olive oil

8 basil leaves, torn

Toasted sesame oil

Steamed brown rice

Preparation

I cleaned out the fridge for this one. When the dogs saw me pull out the bell pepper, the carrot and the turnip, they immediately started begging. Camper taught Squeeky to like fresh veggies. I shared bits of carrot, bell pepper and turnip with them as I chopped.

Put your rice on to steam Slice the chicken thinly, and place it in a bowl with the garlic. Add some soy sauce, and some white pepper. Let that rest while you slice the other vegetables. For the ginger, peel it, and then thinly slice it. Now cut the slices into strips. When everything is chopped or sliced, you are ready to cook.

Years ago I had difficulty getting the wok hot enough to stir fry. I’ve solved that problem. Most gas stoves have a metal disc to divert the gas flame into a circle. If you remove that disc, you’ll have to light the gas with a lighter, but then you’ll get a column of flame. Light it on low. Set the wok over it, and turn it up. You’ll have a roaring fire under the wok, and it will be plenty hot.

When it is hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and then add the chicken and garlic. Stir that as it sizzles, until it is cooked through, and starting to brown. Remove the chicken and garlic to a clean bowl and add the hot peppers to the wok. Add the carrots, celery, turnip and half of the ginger. Stir for a couple of minutes. Add the bell pepper and stir. After another minute, add the onion and the remaining ginger. Stir that for a minute. Splash on some soy sauce, and then some toasted sesame oil. Stir well to mix, and then add the torn basil leaves. Give it one more stir, and you are ready to serve.

Serving

I served this around a big mound of steamed brown rice. Give everything a splash of soy sauce and a sprinkle of white pepper. A ice cold off-dry Riesling will go nice with this.