Asian Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Salad

Ok, first thing off, this is one of the more generic names I think one could possibly come up with for a dish. Second, this was a fabulous summer supper that I somehow managed to ad-lib my way through. Third, it's an opportunity to show off one of my new favorite ingredients; Chinese Black Vinegar.

The heat and humidity finally made their way north to Michigan last week and it was pretty stickyhot. Now, I'm used to all this, being from Georgia, but that doesn't mean that one enjoys it. When I think "light" suppers, two of the things that leap out at me are "Stir-fry" and "salads". Yes, the menu planners at TGI Fridays would be so proud, but they work well for a reason. In fact, they work very well together, if you put them together correctly.

Plus, its something to do with the ubiquitous boneless skinless chicken breasts.


Asian Chicken Stir-Fry w/ Sesame Salad:

Basics:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~4-5 cups mesculin (or 1-2 bag salads of your choice)

Marinade:

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
2/3 cup Chinese black vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. Japanese Seven Spice blend
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Prepare marinade in 1 gallon ziploc bag and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into 1/2 inch wide strips of various lengths. no need for uniformity.

Add chicken to marinade and refridgerate for at least one hour.

After an hour, pull out your favorite wok or skillet (mine is a high-carbon steel one that I found at a Korean grocery store for about $10) and add about 1 tbsp. of canola or other high-heat oil and coat the bottom. Put over high heat.

As the skillet is heating, make the sesame salad dressing, which is a paired down version of the marinade.

Sesame Dressing:

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp black vinegar
1 tsp. Japanese Seven Spice
1 tsp. yellow mustard

Whisk well to combine.

Drain the chicken from the marinade and introduce it to the wonderful world of thermal conductivity. It will make quite a sizzle as it hits the wok, but that's what we're going for. As hot as your range-top can get it.

Stir constantly!

The chicken is "done" when it firms up and gives good resistances to pokes from your spoon. This will vary depending on your heat level; for me, it took about 8 minutes. Remember to keep stirring!

Dispense chicken to a serving plate and allow to cool for a moment. Now, we prepare the plates with the salad base, drizzling on a bit of the dressing, enough to coat the leaves, not drown them in a puddle.

Now, this part is optional, but it makes it look oh so fancy. Sprinkle on a mixture of white and black seasme seeds. They'll add a lot of ritz and a bit of nutty crunch to the salad. Toast them if you really want to show off.

When the chicken is no longer rocket hot, plate over the center of the salad and serve.


Recommended pairings: Any good wine for a stir-fry would work here, like a dry Riesling or pinot blanc, but honestly, I'd just as soon have a good Asian beer like Asahi or Sapporo. Your call.


Hope you like it.

Cocktail of the Hour: Gimlet

Having been reading various books on the subject, including a wonderful little tome called "How's Your Drink?" by Eric Felten, I've regained a big appreciation for the classic highball known as the Gimlet. Perhaps the only thing on this planet that Rose's Lime Juice (actually a lime syrup, but they've been around longer than truth-in-labeling laws) is good for, it is quite tart and refreshing. The traditional recipe for one is as follows:

The Gimlet:

Equal parts gin and Rose's Lime Juice. (2oz. of each would make a standard size)
Stir over rocks in a highball glass. Garnish (if desired) w/ lime wedge.

Now, this makes a fine drink, but it's a bit too tart for me, so I like to change things a bit and decrease the amount of the lime.

Hunter's Gimlet:

2 parts gin
1 part Rose's Lime Juice

If you want to stretch the drink a bit, move to a Collin's glass, increase the Rose's Lime Juice and add Club Soda.

Gimlet Fizz:

2 oz. Gin
3 oz. Rose's Lime Juice
Add to Collins glass w/ ice.
Top with Club Soda or Seltzer (~3 - 4 oz.)
Stir and serve.

For people looking for ridiculous ways to cut calories, I imagine that something along the lines of this would work well.

The GimLite:

2 oz. Gin
4 oz. lime flavored Seltzer.
Add to Collins glass w/ ice.
Stir and serve.

Crisp, refreshing and all but sugar-free.

One more thing. Eric Felten raises an excellent point in his book. This drink, along with Gin and Tonics (but that's another post) benefit from what he calls an "unapologetic" gin. One that perfumes the room with the smell of juniper when you open the bottle. And you know what, he's dead on. This is a drink that needs powerful flavors to cut through the tartness. This is not a drink to savor the nuances of the botanicals. No, if you could wring out juniper sap as an ingredient, I'd recommend you do that. (Actually, with Juniper berries increasingly availabe, you probably could. Note to self: investigate further). One step above bathtub gin lies my personal favorite for these type of drinks; Gordon's London Dry. If it was good enough for James Bond, it's good enough for you. [Bombay London Dry works fine too, as that's the other gin I try to keep on hand at all times].

So, find room in your fridge next to the crappy fake Grenedine for some Rose's Lime and enjoy one of the perfect cocktails that you don't have to be fussy over.

Cheers!

Begin the begin

Having been unsuccessful in finding a cooking/food(ie) blog that spoke to me, I have decided to start one of my own. Not the instructions of a classically trained chef, or a go-getter soccer-mom feeding 10 children on $1 a day, nor a gourmand who can wax poetic on the black truffles and Armagnac he/she just laid down $200 for. Simply the thoughts and experiments of moderately educated scientist who will try most anything once. Hope you find something you like.

Gypsy Rose Lee was told she had to get a gimmick, so we'll see what this one develops, I reckon.