In stir-fries, I love how well sacue clings to deep-fried chicken pieces. In this case, though the chicken is not deep-fried, thanks to the brown sugar, it forms a sticky sauce once reduced and glazes each chicken piece well.
Chicken thigh – Cut boneless chicken thighs into thin slices or cubes. If using frozen chicken, then bring it to room temperature. Ginger- It all about the ginger flavor and there is a good dose of it. Fresh mature ginger has a more intense flavor. Cut into thin round slices, it doesn’t break into the sauce. Garlic – Just a little bit of fresh minced garlic. Onion – Cut into wedges. gives a little crunch. Spring Onion–
For Chicken Marinade
Oyster sauce Soy – Preferably low sodium sauce Toasted Sesame Oil Brown sugar – To balance all the salty sauces, You could use regular white sugar or honey. Chinese Five Spice – Spicy, sweet, and aromatic, it complements the ginger. Made with cinnamon, fennel, schezwan pepper, cloves, and star anise. It is available in Asian stores or you could make your own by following this recipe. White pepper
For Sauce
Oyster sacue Soy sauce Chinese cooking wine/ cooking sherry Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce. Water
Prepare aromatics and sauce
Begin by chopping onions into quarters(like wedges), cutting ginger into slices, and gently smashing each slice with the back of a knife. Chop scallions, keep green and white parts separate.
Marinate chicken and make sauce
A quick 15-minute chicken marination will season and tenderize the chicken. Longer marination is really not necessary. Mix all the sauce ingredients for the stir fry. Arrange marinated chicken in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook again for 2-3 minutes. Tip- To get the perfect sear, cook it on medium-high heat undisturbed for an initial 3 minutes. Once the chicken is seared, towards the end add minced garlic. Adding garlic towards the end prevents it from burning.
Finally-make the sauce
I love a little crunch from the onions, hence add them towards the end. Lower heat. Stir in the sauce and Deglaze the pan. Let it simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and it sticks to the chicken. Finish it off by adding green onions. Sometimes I serve it as an appetizer. To serve as an appetizer, skip the water and cornstarch in the sauce.
