Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

That which doesn't kill you makes you stranger. Sometimes I love grafitti.

This week's bite club has a new set of rules - a process still in the making - but what I gathered is one ingredient of the week is broccoli. I'd planned to make some kind of stirfry -serendipity. Only my initial idea was making two dishes (never knowlingly make it simple), one chicken and one veg. Bought both. Then I was struck by a brainwave - chicken and broccoli stirfry. Quick, easy, less washing up!

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Charmaine Solomon that I have been making for years and years. It is a very subtle dish that makes brilliant use of both the stalks and the florets for their flavour and, especially, the contrast in textures between the smooth crunch of the stalks and the tiny flower heads catching the sauce. The meat, firm and juicy, is sliced thinly and then marinated in a little five spice which provides the encompassing flavour of the dish. The spice is rounded out and given depth with garlic and ginger and a hint of sweet from the shiaoxing wine.


Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

1 chicken breast
1/2 tspn five spice powder
1/2 tspn salt
500g broccoli
2 tbspns peanut oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbspn ginger, finely chopped
2 tspns light soy sauce
1 tbspn shiaoxing wine
2 tbspns chicken stock or water
1 tspn potato flour
2 tspns cold water

Bone and skin the chicken breast. Slice the flesh thinly and mix with five spice powder and salt.
Bring a little lightly salted water to the boil. Cut the broccoli into florets and the stalks into sticks about 3cm long and 1/2cm thick. Drop the stalks into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Add the florets and, when the water comes back to the boil, cook for another minute. Drain the broccoli and refresh under cold water. It will be crisp bright green.

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the chicken and toss over a high heat until the meat turns white.

Add soy, wine, stock or water and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Mix potato flour smoothly with the cold water, add to the wok and stir till it is thick and glossy.

Add the drained broccoli and toss gently to mix and heat through.

Serve hot over rice.

And cold next day for lunch.

Simple and fabulous.

And yours for less than a fiver.