Wok Wednesdays: The Breath of a Wok | Uncle Sherman’s Home-Style Chicken and Vegetables

This week's recipe is chock full of vegetables. We have bok choy, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower, though any vegetable can be used; preferably in season vegetables for best flavor.

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Chicken, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, soy sauce, oil, salt

Bowl 2: Bean sauce

Bowl 3: Ginger, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower

Bowl 4: Bean sauce

Bowl 5: Water

Bowl 6: Bok choy, mushrooms

Bowl 7: Water

Bowl 8: Cornstarch, soy sauce, water

The bean sauce on its own is quite salty so I omitted the additional salt called for in the recipe. I should no better - Grace would not steer us wrong - the salt was needed in the end after all.

The flavor of this stir-fry is on the mild side, which would make for a great meal to expand a child's palate while introducing them to Asian cuisine.



We have been asked not to post the recipes on our blogs. Why don't you grab the book and join in on the fun, and become a Wok Wednesdays member. Everyone is welcome - bloggers and non-bloggers alike!

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Wok Wednesdays is an online group of wok devotees that are cooking through Grace Young's The Breath of a Wok.

Wok Wednesdays | Vinegar Glazed Chicken & Shanghainese-Style Stir-Fried [Lima] Beans

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge

by Grace Young

Vinegar Glazed Chicken

I feel the saying "you had me at . . ." is way overused and I have avoided it (I think) - until now. The title alone had me wanting to make this immediately!! And why there isn't a photo in the book is beyond me - it is a most gorgeous looking stir-fry.

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Scallions, ginger, garlic, dried red chili peppers

Bowl 2: Chicken, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, dry sherry, sugar, cornstarch, Sichuan peppercorns, salt

Bowl 3: Sesame oil, dark soy, soy sauce, dry sherry

Bowl 4: Balsamic vinegar

This dish is traditionally made with red chili peppers that I have used here, however in the book, red pepper flakes are called for to make things easier. I only used three peppers for this recipe, I easily could have added more for there was not much heat - not sure how old my dried peppers were. When using whole peppers, make sure to snip one of the ends off so that the seeds of the pepper disperse throughout the stir-fry.

Grace calls for Chinkiang vinegar, which she says adds a great depth of flavor, but balsamic (which I used) she says is a great alternative.

The accidental plating. Lucky for me the sauce splattered this way! (Well, there was a blob on the other side as well, which I wiped clean.) I couldn't have made it happen this way if I tried. 

Not only does this look good, but it tastes good too. To me, it even had an inkling of barbecued flavor to it at first bite. Another member of our group mentioned her hubby thought it tasted slightly like bacon!

This . . . is another winner folks.

Shanghainese-Style Stir-Fried [Lima] Beans

 
I was feeling this needed a little flair - in the end it probably didn't really need anything at all. But my idea of adding a little Pickapeppa sauce sounded like a good idea at the time. As you can see, the sauce started to "bleed" into the beans almost immediately. Hmmm, maybe two or three slices of cherry tomato on top would be cute - or nothing - depending on how you serve it up - molded and chilled, or warm, straight from the wok.

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Pickled cabbage

Bowl 2: Lima beans

Bowl 3: Chicken broth

Bowl 4: Sugar, salt

This is an odd stir-fry to say the least. It wasn't easy stir-frying mashed beans - they just wanted to stay in one big clumpy mass and stick to my chuan (wok spatula). I just had to keep scraping the beans off and pressing down and dragging the chuan across them to incorporate everything.

I found the pickled cabbage at a store in Oakland's Chinatown (wish I can remember which one - it was the last store I was going to look at before giving up). Of course I tried to find them at my local stores, even 99 Ranch, our local Asian grocer to no avail - the other stores may have had this - but if they had the Chinese label showing, I would have had no clue. At least now I know what to look for.

The recipe calls for fresh fava beans - which here in California do not come into season until late January (if you're lucky) or February according to the vendor at the farmer's market. I may have been able to find frozen fava beans at 99 Ranch, but I never made it over there.

We actually enjoyed this. Andy liked it a lot actually - he said it made him feel like he was eating clean; "clean" eating can be a put-off for some - but this was tasty - not knock-your-socks off tasty like I'm accustomed to with recipes from this book, but it was good. Andy says he would even eat this a couple times a week.

I'm glad I purchased two cans of the pickled cabbage, for I will definitely make this again when fresh fava beans are in season come next year.



These two recipes can be found on pages 136 & 227 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge.

 

We as a group have agreed not to post the recipes on our blogs. 

Wok Wednesdays | Chinese Jamaican Stir-Fried Chicken with Chayote

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

A most delicious stir-fry! Served with rice, you have yourself a complete meal. 

The recipe calls for two not so ordinary ingredients: Pickapeppa Sauce and Chayote (pronounced Chahy-oh-tee or Chī'ōdē) squash, which also goes by the names of vegetable pear, christophene, chocho and mirlton. Depending on what article you read, it is either a fruit or vegetable. I'm sticking with fruit.

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Chicken, dark soy sauce, garlic, cornstarch, salt, oil

Bowl 2: Onions

Bowl 3: Salt

Bowl 4: Chayote

Bowl 5: Water

Bowl 6: Pickapeppa Sauce, ketchup

Bowl 7: Salt

This stir-fry begins by adding the chicken to the wok first, which is allowed to sear and stir-fried briefly before it is removed from the wok (to be added back in later). Oil is added to the wok with a bit of salt and the chayote - this is stir-fried for a short time, and then some water is added, the wok is covered for about five seconds, uncovered, stirred, and covered again until the chayote is crisp-tender. The chicken is added back in along with the sauce mixture and a bit more salt, and stir-fried just until the chicken is cooked through. Yep, that simple.

Chayote

I have purchased chayote at my local grocery in the past, however, this time, I had to make a trip to 99 Ranch, my local Asian market. If you can't find chayote, you could substitute zucchini; though I may skip or shorten the time of the steaming portion of the recipe, for zucchini is pretty tender from the start, whereas chayote is crisp like an apple, as I prefer my vegetables on the firmer side.

I found it easier to peel the chayote after slicing it in half and giving it a quick rinse with water (it can be slippery); I was able to get a better grip on it, and also able to get to more of the skin in the creases at the top.
                           

(source)

The Pickapeppa Sauce (aka Jamaican ketchup), I did not even check my local markets for, and went straight to World Market, knowing I had seen it there before. Other members mentioned they did find it at their Safeway and Ralphs supermarkets - so maybe it is not so uncommon after all.

This sauce tasted to me, a lot like A-1 steak sauce with a dose of vinegar. However, mixed with ketchup and stir-fried along with the other ingredients, it had a totally different flavor - nothing at all like steak sauce.

Andy said this was another A+ meal; and on his second helping he voiced "this is way good.."

It is said that the seed of the chayote is a delicacy in Mexico. So of course I had to give it a try. The seed was very tender, with a "green" flavor, almost grass-like; it was just OK - not something I would have a hankering for in the future.

(Update: to clarify, I ate the seed raw, Grace informed me that it should be cooked.)

I did have an extra chayote that I used for making this raw, light, crisp salad for my lunch. I came across a recipe on Canadian Living, that used a very simple citrus (lime) vinaigrette to toss partially cooked chayote in, along with some cilantro. I chose not to boil the chayote, and just sliced it very thin with a mandoline. Raw chayote is crisp like an apple, with a very mild flavor - similar to a cucumber, sans the sweetness.

Check out the following links for more information on this interesting fruit:

Specialty Produce

Harvest to Table

Chayote Squash Great as Ornament or Treat

We have been asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. You will find the recipe on page 133 of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find at your local library.  

Wok Wednesdays | Stir-Fried Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

The black bean sauce in this recipe is not made with your typical black beans (think Latin cuisine), but with fermented black beans (aka douchi or salted black beans) which are actually black soybeans that have been fermented and preserved in salt. You will find these beans at your local Chinese or Asian grocery. 

The beans have a musky scent, and an earthy, oaky, raisiny (without the sweetness) flavor, not to mention salty, which you can rinse the beans to remove some of the saltiness as we did for this recipe.

Mise en place.

Bowl 1:  Red onion, red pepper flakes

Bowl 2:  Chicken, cornstarch, dry sherry, soy sauce, salt

Bowl 3:  Carrots

Bowl 4:  Fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce

Bowl 5:  Chicken broth, dry sherry

Bowl 6:  Salt

Bowl 7:  Scallion

As I was consuming this wonderful meal (I served this with jasmine rice and steamed zucchini), I thought how comforting this is. It's one you'll want to have in your repertoire, filed under comfort foods.  

Next time I make this, I'm going to toss in a few whole fermented beans as well, and up the red pepper flakes for I do like my food on the spicier side.

The recipe can be found here, but I highly recommend you get the book - the recipes are fabulous.

We have been asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. You will find the recipe on page 137 of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. 

Wok Wednesdays | Singapore-Style [Chicken] with Chinese Celery

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

This recipe was picked for the upcoming Chinese New Year. The actual recipe is made with duck, however, I had to substitute chicken for this one.

According to Grace: "Celery is popular to eat for the lunar new year. The belief is that eating celery has positive meaning, because the word for celery in Cantonese, kun choi, is a homonym for diligence." I also read that duck symbolizes fertility - good thing I'm past that stage in my life, being I had to substitute chicken.

To read more on traditions during the Chinese New Year, see Grace's posts, Chinse New Year Traditions and Gifts for the Gods: Food for the Chinese New Year.

(source)

 

As you can see, Chinese celery is very similar to American celery. The difference is the stalks are a lot thinner, and the flavor is more pronounced; unlike Western celery, it is vary rarely, if at all, eaten raw, for it is not as tender.  Personally, I enjoyed it raw, more-so than our celery.

 The Kitchen God, with offerings of wine and fruit (blood orange), overseeing my mise en place. 

Bowl 1: Five-spice tofu

Bowl 2: Ginger, shallot, Thai red pepper (my addition)

Bowl 3: Salted soy beans

Bowl 4: Chicken, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, rice wine, salt, pepper, five-spice powder, sugar

Bowl 5: Chinese celery, Anaheim chilies

Bowl 6: Chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine

The Kitchen God, overseeing the soon-to-be stir-frying (I hope he is not too tipsy from the wine). 

I ended up using chicken in place of the duck, for the duck I had in the freezer was unfortunately freezer-burned, and my meat market only had frozen available. I can only imagine what the "wild" taste of duck would impart on this stir-fry; the chicken made a fine substitute, but missing that "gamey" flavor of duck.

The recipe calls for Anaheim peppers, which I'm sure is what I used (no sign stating what they were), but they did not have any heat to them, so I added four small, dried Thai red peppers with the ends snipped; the amount of heat was spot on.

You can't go wrong when a recipe calls for Chinese five-spice powder - amazing flavor. However, do read the labels! The ingredients vary between brands; my friend Karen, of Karen's Kitchen Stories mentioned hers had six ingredients!! Check out a previous post here for a list of different brands and their ingredients.

The recipe states this will serve two to three as a main dish with rice. I forgot to make rice, and too bad too, for it had a fair amount of sauce; even without the rice, this stir-fry was quite filling!

We have been asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 131, of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed.

Wok Wednesdays | Chinese Indian Chicken Manchurian

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

How many favorites can one have? When asked what is my favorite stir-fry, it is impossible to say.

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Onion, chili pepper, garlic, ginger
Bowl 2: Chicken, egg white, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, water, salt, vegetable oil
Bowl 3: Chicken broth, soy sauce
Bowl 4: Cilantro
Bowl 5: Scallion

Grace mentions in the book that the Indian influence in this dish comes from the spicy hotness of the stir-fry, and being saucy, much like a curry.

It just amazes me every time, in these recipes, how tender chicken is after such a short time marinating; and it's not marinated in a typical salty concoction. Here the chicken is mixed with some egg white, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, water, salt and vegetable oil; it then has a short thirty minute rest in the fridge. Truly amazing.

As with most cooking, the aromatics are stir-fried first, then they are pushed to the side of the wok; the meat is added and allowed to sear before stir-frying until browned all over, at which time the broth mixture and cilantro are added and given a quick toss, and once the sauce has thickened slightly, the scallions are added, and the most delicious stir-fry is ready to be served.

I served this alongside the cabbage and bacon stir-fry, from my last WW post. My husband nonchalantly stated that I could make both of these dishes again... if I wanted to.

As mentioned above, this is one of the saucier stir-fries in the book, so you will want to make some rice to go along with it, to soak up all the deliciousness. 

We are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 142, of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed.  

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!

Wok Wednesdays | Chinese Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

WW wokking thru Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

 

 As the saying goes, less is more. Should have forwent the rice balls on the plate..

Mise in place.

Bowl 1: Chicken, cornstarch, salt, pepper, oil

Bowl 2: Lemongrass, garlic, Thai red pepper (recipe calls for jalapeño)

Bowl 3: Onion

Bowl 4: Chicken broth, fish sauce

Bowl 5: Brown sugar

 (photo source)

Lemongrass. I have used it a couple of times - the light lemony flavor adds that perfect touch of citrus flavor, without the overpowering, sometimes bitter taste that you can get when you use lemon zest. It is becoming more widely available - found in most supermarkets today - albeit, tucked away in an obscure corner...

Grace mentions in the book, "Not to be alarmed if the chicken seems to be "dry" after marinating." 

The "marinade" consists of only cornstarch, salt, pepper, and a small amount (1 tsp.) of oil. In past recipes, there has also been some liquid of sort, such as soy sauce and rice wine. It's amazing how moist the chicken is without the extra moisture that the soy sauce and rice wine would lend.

Well, over on the Wok Wednesdays Facebook page, everyone has given this recipe high marks.

This recipe was not a complete success for me. I somehow must have used too much fish sauce - for that was pretty much the dominate flavor. I could taste in the background, a slight hint of the lemongrass, and the sweetness from the sugar, but mostly - fish sauce.

Even cleaning up after dinner, I could smell the scent of the fish sauce. Just was not a good thing for me.

Which brings up a question. Fish sauce, as you may know, has a very unpleasant odor, but once cooked, lends the most delicious flavor to foods normally. How do you know when your fish sauce has gone bad?

Putting away my bottle, I noticed it did have an expiration date of February... I wasn't too concerned after consulting a favorite site of mine, Still Tasty dot com. I did throw the rest out however, and will purchase a new bottle when a future recipe calls for it.

 Cucumber flower garnish found on Pinterest.

I have to thank Karen, of Karen's Kitchen Stories for the heads up that this stir-fry could use a splash of color. I was looking for a simple radish garnish, for I have a few radishes in the fridge that need to be used up, when I came across the pretty cucumber flower - not as intricate as the one I found on Pinterest - but a lot of fun to make just the same. 

Thanks Karen!!

We are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 143 of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed. 

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!

WW: Cashew Chicken

Wok Wednesdays wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

This is a delightfully fresh stir-fry made up of chicken, carrots, celery, and cashews; using the freshest of ingredients makes all the difference in the world - you will be amazed at how much better this tastes than any take-out.

I did not bother with making rice, even though it did have a fair amount of sauce - a light sauce as you can see from the picture, not the heavy gravy-type sauce that Grace mentions in the book, that is often served in Chinese restaurants today to satisfy our western culture. I found this was quite satisfying on its own, sans rice.

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1:  Ginger

Bowl 2:  Chicken, garlic, soy sauce, cornstarch, dry sherry, salt, sugar

Bowl 3:  Celery, carrots, sugar snap peas, cashews

Bowl 4:  Salt

Bowl 5:  Chicken broth, soy sauce, dry sherry, cornstarch

The vegetables in this dish added a wonderful crunchy texture to the ever so tender chicken. The flavor is rather mild, even with a whole two tablespoons of fresh ginger, and a tablespoon of fresh garlic. If you like a bit of spice, Grace mentioned (on the WW Facebook page) that you can add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or sliced jalapeño with the minced garlic. I will definitely do that next time, for I do like my food on the spicy side.

Oh, and once again, this was hit with the hubs. :) 

If you would like to make this easy stir-fry yourself, grab Grace's book and turn to page 123, for we have agreed not to publish the recipes on our blog.

Wok on!

WW: Five-Spice Chicken with Sugar Snaps

Wok Wednesdays wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

Stir-frying in general, makes for quick meals; and this recipe is one of the quicker ones - due to just a few ingredients. OK, it seemed like a few, there are thirteen actually - however, all but two, are condiments and spices. There was very little preparation involved - just the slicing of the chicken, rinsing of the sugar snaps (if like me, you do), and mixing the spices and condiments together. So easy, so quick, so delicious.

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Chicken thighs, ginger, dark soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, dry sherry, five-spice powder, sesame oil

Bowl 2: Sugar snap peas

Bowl 3: Chicken broth, ketchup, dark soy sauce

Bowl 4: Salt

This would have gone even quicker, if I had only checked my spice drawer for the Chinese five-spice before going to the store. I swear I had a jar - and was so thrilled to be able to use it again. Must have been old and I tossed it when I cleaned the drawer out last.

I texted the hubby to pick up a jar on his way home. Of course he had to go to two stores before he found it. He brought home a brand I haven't used. Grace mentions in the book, that this spice blend consists of Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel, cinnamon and cloves. I checked the label's ingredient list and there is no Sichuan peppercorns listed - Spice Hunter brand substituted black pepper.

This lead me on an internet search for the authentic Chinese five-spice blend (see the end of this post for my findings). Out of the six brands I searched, only one had Sichuan peppercorns - of course it would not be the one available at your neighborhood grocery. The ingredient list differs by brand as well.

The chicken gets marinated in a mixture of dark soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, dry sherry, five-spice powder and sesame oil. It's amazing how tender and moist the chicken becomes after just a short time in the marinade - it marinates just long enough to gather the rest of the ingredients and set up shop.

Ohhh, why did I not make rice this time; or at least have some bread on hand. There was plenty of the most delicious sauce, with an exotic, somewhat sweet, and savory flavor, just begging to be soak up and consumed. I had to make do with swirling my steamed carrots into the sauce, which they did a pretty good job of it, and tasted pretty darn good too! 

Grace, thank you for another wonderful recipe. 

And now for my Chinese five-spice findings (Sichuan peppercorns substitute is shown in italics):

1. Morton & Bassett 

    Cinnamon, anise seed, cloves, ginger, fennel

2. Spice Hunter

    Star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper

3. McCormick

    Anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, ginger, sulfiting agents

4. Penzeys

    Cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger, cloves

5. Spicely

    Star anise, fennel, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves

****And the winner for most authentic is...

6. Williams-Sonoma

    Anise, Szechuan peppercorn, cinnamon, cloves, fennel

So there you go! It definitely pays to read labels..

Wok on my friends!! 

We are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 120 of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed. 

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!