Spicy Stir-Fried Sesame Chicken with Green Beans & Shiitakes

Amarante

Tue, Dec 22 2020, 10:53 am

I stumbled on an episode of America's Test Kitchen about a decade ago and it was the start of my learning how to cook. I had made stirfry dishes before but they never really worked.

I remember discussing the technique with my best friend when we were taking the kids to Descanso Gardens (it's that vivid a memory Very Happy

) and she was a bit skeptical when I explained it - until she tried it.

The secret is that you saute the protein first in small batches so that it becomes seared instead of steamed. You take the protein out and add the veggies because that way they can be cooked properly so that they are the perfect crispness - not raw and not mushy. The master stir fry recipes contain information on adding different veggies at different times since broccoli or string beans (for example) takes longer than softer veggies.

The recipe itself isn't a potchke at all - you can prep veggies before cooking and like any stir fry it goes quickly at the end so mise en place is essential - ie. everything is ready to go. I got miniature bowls so that I could have the ingredients all ready to add at the appropriate times.

Spicy Stir-Fried Sesame Chicken with Green Beans and Shiitakes

Excerpt From: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen. “The America's Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook

SERVES 4 TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Stir-fried sesame chicken should feature moist, tender, perfectly cooked pieces of flavorful chicken coated with a sweet-spicy sauce. More often than not, the chicken is dry and tasteless and serves just as a vehicle for the sauce. Tired of dry, stringy meat in our chicken stir-fries, we came up with a solution: We coated the chicken in a sesame oil-cornstarch-soy mixture. The cornstarch coating, a modified version of the Chinese technique called velveting, helped the chicken stay moist even with a high-heat cooking method. We cooked the chicken in batches over high heat, then the vegetables, and finished with the aromatics and sauce. The result was a stir-fry with plump, tasty slices of chicken and tender-crisp vegetables in a spicy sauce that strikes a perfect savory-sweet balance. To make the chicken easier to slice, freeze it for 15 minutes. For a less spicy stir-fry, reduce the amount of Sriracha to 2 teaspoons. Serve with Sticky Rice. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

SAUCE

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
5 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced

STIR-FRY

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
8 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut on bias into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ⅛ inch thick

1. FOR THE SAUCE: Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

2. FOR THE STIR-FRY: Whisk 2 tablespoons sesame oil, cornstarch, flour, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and soy sauce together in medium bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken. In separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken mixture, breaking up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Stir chicken and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds; transfer to clean bowl. Repeat with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and remaining chicken mixture; transfer to bowl.

4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to now-empty skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add green beans and cook for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are lightly browned and beans are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables.

6. Return cooked chicken, with any accumulated juices, to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Transfer to platter, sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Serve.