[1]
I’d kind of forgotten about stir-fry for some reason, probably in large part due to my ginormous wok currently being stored in my playroom cabinets. This is a quick meal, and has a very unusual (for me) advantage of nearly no dishes for cleanup at the end of assembly. The sauce was quite flavorful, but if you’re trying to limit salt, definitely use a low-sodium soy sauce. You could also use almost any vegetables, fresh or frozen, this was just what was on hand in the fridge at dinner time.
Fish sauce [2] is made from fermented fish, which at first hearing, sounds kind of gross. It is a staple ingredient in almost all Vietnamese and Thai cooking, and has historical use in China. I started using it in my Asian-inspired cooking, due to it’s prevalence in recipes.
5 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed, sliced into thin strips
soy sauce
fish sauce
juice of one lemon
cumin
onion powder
fresh ground pepper
frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and chopped in 1-inch pieces
1/2 white onion, sliced
hoisin sauce [3]
Place chicken strips in a large bowl and cover with soy sauce, add 1 tbsp. fish sauce, lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp pepper, stir. Let sit for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat a wok on high heat, then add 2 tbsps canola oil. When oil is hot, add chicken to wok in a single layer, discarding any used marinade. Put lid on and cook until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally. Add onions and asparagus. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes, then add other drained vegetables. Add 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1.5 tbsps hoisin sauce and stir. Cover and cook additional 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice.