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 | 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: Chinese Trinidadian Chicken with Mango Chutney

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

Wow! This one is over-the-top delicious! A new favorite - or should I say another favorite. Grace has outdone herself with this one. Thank you, Grace!!! And thank Winnie Lee Lum for sharing her original recipe with Grace, so she can share it with us. 

There are few ingredients that go into this dish: onion, garlic, ginger, chicken, soy sauce, salt and pepper, mango chutney (it's the mango chutney gives this stir-fry it's amazing flavor), dark soy sauce, Scotch bonnet pepper (I used serrano), and cilantro. OK, it sounds like a lot, but really, it's not, and it comes together rather quickly.

This is a spicy dish, as I knew it would be with the use of a Scotch bonnet pepper (mainly used in Caribbean cuisine); I'm not sure how my stir-fry compares with the original recipe, which calls for 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet pepper - I subbed one full teaspoon of a serrano pepper, the hottest pepper available at my market. I found one teaspoon to be the perfect amount of heat for this stir-fry.

A Scotch bonnet rates anywhere from 100,000 - 350,000 units (heat rating) on the Scoville scale, as where a serrano pepper rates at 10,000 - 23,000 units - a big difference! Its equivalent would be the habenero - this too was not available to me at the time.

(source)

 (source)

This cute little pepper got its name from the resemblance to the Tam o' Shanter hat - a bonnet worn by Scottish men. (I know your day would not be complete without this bit of trivia.) :)

Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Onion, garlic, ginger

Bowl 2: Oil (I normally don't put my oil in bowls; my bottle was empty and needed cleaning.)

Bowl 3: Chicken, soy sauce, salt, pepper

Bowl 4: Oil

Bowl 5: Mango chutney, dark soy sauce, serrano pepper (recipe called for Scotch bonnet)

Bowl 6: Cilantro

This is one of those recipes that stick with you - the ones that you can't stop thinking about. I was lucky that there was a small amount left over (believe me, it was hard to leave any behind - but I'm trying to be good) to have for my lunch the next day. It may have been a small amount, buy I savored every morsel.

Y o u  m u s t  g e t  t h i s  b o o k ! ! !  The recipes will have you in a state of eternal bliss ~ especially this one.

We are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 116 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!

Grace recommends the 14-inch flat bottom carbon steel wok. You can purchase this wok at The Wok Shop when in San Francisco, or on-line by clicking here.

WW: Macanese Stir-Fried Chicken

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

The flavors of this stir-fry are a blend of Chinese and Portuguese cuisine, with influences from the Southeast Asian, European, and Indian regions, known as Macanese cuisine. And boy does it work.

This dish consists of chicken, garlic, cornstarch, soy sauce, dry sherry, sugar, coconut milk, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, dark soy sauce, shallots, chouriço or chorizo (your choice), turmeric, sweet paprika, tomatoes, and salt.

I went with Spanish chorizo, which is dry cured, unlike chouriço, which is raw; and as for the paprika, this is one spice that has always eluded me. Not really sure what it does for a dish - other than making deviled eggs look pretty. It really does not have any noticeable flavor that I can detect. Apparently there are several different kinds of paprika. The one I used is just your standard plain paprika found in just about every grocery store. 

Absolutely loved this stir-fry!

Success meter (1-3): 3

You start out by stir-frying your chorizo and shallots, push them aside, add the chicken which has been combined with garlic, cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar and water, and let the chicken cook undisturbed for one minute.

Sprinkle on the spices and sir-fry for another minute or so.

Add the tomatoes and cook till they soften a bit. You then swirl in the broth mixture which consists of coconut milk, chicken broth, vinegar, dark soy sauce, rice wine and a bit of salt. 

Tadaah! A delicious stir-fry awaits you.

You will want to make some rice or have some bread on hand to soak up all the tasty sauce from the bottom of the bowl.

Yum. That was good..

One of the rules of the Wok Wednesdays group is we are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 117 in 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 to join us or just want more information, click here or visit us on Facebook.

WW: Velvet Chicken and Asparagus

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

This recipe takes a little bit of advance planning before you can start the actual stir-frying; the asparagus needs to be blanched and the chicken marinated (not for adding flavor, but to create tenderness) thirty minutes prior to cooking - a process called velveting.

If like me, you fail to read the recipe beforehand, you can still get this on the table in a reasonable amount of time - oh the joys of stir-frying!

Chicken breast can and usually turn out dry, no matter how you cook it - until now. To velvet chicken (or other meats/fish) you combine it with some egg white, cornstarch, rice wine, salt and oil. Chill for thirty minutes then give it a quick blanching in some water that oil has been added to. The result after stir-frying is amazing; tender, soft and silky smooth.

I only wish I could use this technique with chicken that I plan on barbecuing. It is not advised to "brown" the meat you have velveted - I'm not real clear as to why not. It has something to do with overcooking the velveting ingredients themselves.

Once again, we have another successful recipe from the book Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge (a must have!).

Success meter (1-3): 3

 The chicken in the "marinade".

Asparagus is blanched and dried. With stir-frying you want to make sure your ingredients are dry as possible to avoid hot oil splatters and the braising of your dish. I find using a salad spinner works well at getting the water off of the vegetables.

 You can almost see the silky smoothness the chicken has obtained after marinating.

Trust me - you'll get past the eating of "white" (not browned) chicken with the first bite. The velveted chicken is sublime.

A career in food styling is not in my future...

One of the rules of the Wok Wednesdays group is we are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 128 in Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find 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 to join us or just want more information, click here or visit us on Facebook.

WW: Spicy Orange Chicken

Wok Wednesdays Wokking thru Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

Wow! This dish had me on cloud nine. Grace, you are amazing! Thank you time and time again for your wonderful recipes; any chance you will do a vegetarian stir-fry book in the future?

I made a couple of deviations. I used ground black pepper instead of white, and I used Hunan Chili Sauce in place of the chili bean sauce, for this is what I had on hand and my local chain grocery did not carry the chili bean sauce. The recipe calls for the zest of one orange; so I thought why not add sectioned orange slices - this was a good call on my part.

Not sure why my tomatoes disintegrated. I did not seed them like I did for the Stir-Fried Eggs with Tomatoes and the picture in the book shows them mostly intact. Maybe it was due to that I used an heirloom tomato? Also I had a lot of sauce (partially due to the disintegrated tomatoes?) which makes me wish I had made rice or served bread to soak up all that tasty goodness!

This stir-fry was fabulous!

Success meter (1-3): 3

Oh the aroma...

(and it's not even cooking yet!)

The recipe calls for shredded ginger.

First you slice paper-thin slices, then

cut the slices into 1/8-inch fine shreds.

I placed a dime to show scale - my pieces

were not quite paper-thin, but did the job.

Just look at those beautiful tomatoes!

So gratifying...

This weekend was our daughter's birthday. We celebrated with a trip to San Francisco to buy her a cast iron (her choice) wok from the fabulous Tane Chan of the Wok Shop. We spoke with Tane Chan and she is a treat to say the least! Not only does she praise Grace Young to the fullest, she also gives great pointers and wonderful lunch recommendations. Thank you Tane! 

When in San Francisco..

Yum!

Abutilon "Tiger Eye"

A comparison:

My four month old wok compared to the

wok I puchased for my nephew while

we were at the Wok Shop.

You will not find the recipe here on my blog or within the Wok Wednesdays community. We encourage readers to go and purchase this book at their local independent bookstore or on-line.

Make sure to visit my co-wokkers to see their results on this stir-fry.

Look for the LYL link on the Wok Wednesdays page.