Chicken Stir Fry

• 1.5 lbchicken breast · thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tbspcornstarch · plus 1 tsp for the sauce
• 3 tbsptamari
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 1 tbsprice vinegar
• 1 tbspfresh ginger · grated
• 3garlic cloves · grated
• 1 tbsphoney
• 2 cupsbroccoli florets
• 1red bell pepper · sliced
• 2carrots · thinly sliced
• 1 cupsugar snap peas
• 3spring onions · sliced
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame seeds

Methode

1. 1

   Slice the chicken thin and against the grain

   Cut chicken breast or thigh into thin, even strips, slicing across the grain rather than along it. Thin pieces cook in the couple of minutes a hot pan gives them, and cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibres so the meat stays tender instead of stringy. Even thickness means every piece is done at the same moment. This knife work is what lets the chicken cook fast enough to sear rather than stew.

2. 2

   Velvet the chicken with cornflour and soy

   Toss the sliced chicken with a teaspoon of cornflour, a splash of soy or tamari, and a little oil, and let it sit while you prep the vegetables. This is velveting, the trick that keeps takeaway chicken so silky. The cornflour forms a thin coat that holds in moisture and gives the sauce something to cling to, so the chicken comes out tender and glossy rather than dry. It takes seconds and it is the single biggest upgrade to a home stir-fry.

3. 3

   Mix the sauce before anything hits the pan

   In a small bowl, stir together soy or tamari, a little rice vinegar, grated ginger and garlic, a touch of honey, and a teaspoon of cornflour slaked in a splash of water. A stir-fry moves too fast to measure sauce mid-cook, so it must be ready to pour. The cornflour in the sauce is what makes it turn glossy and cling to the food instead of sitting in a thin puddle at the bottom of the pan. Have it standing by within arm's reach.

4. 4

   Get the pan properly hot and cook the chicken in batches

   Heat a wide pan or wok until it is almost smoking, add a little oil, and sear the chicken in two batches rather than all at once. A crowded pan drops in temperature and the chicken releases water and stews grey instead of searing. Cooking in batches keeps the surface hot so each piece browns. Let the chicken sit for a moment before you toss it, take it to just cooked, and lift it out to a plate while you do the vegetables.

5. 5

   Stir-fry the vegetables hard and fast

   Add a splash more oil and throw in firm vegetables first, broccoli, peppers, carrots, then quicker ones like snap peas and spring onion after a minute. Keep everything moving over high heat for just two or three minutes so the vegetables stay bright and crisp with a little char. The whole appeal of a stir-fry is crunch against tender chicken, so stop well before they go soft. Cook them in the order of how long they take, hardest first.

6. 6

   Return the chicken and pour in the sauce

   Tip the chicken and any resting juices back into the pan with the vegetables, give the sauce a final stir to re-suspend the cornflour, and pour it in. Everything is already nearly cooked at this point, so this stage is quick. Tossing the chicken back with its juices means none of that flavour is lost. Keep the heat high so the sauce comes straight up to a bubble.

7. 7

   Toss until the sauce turns glossy and clings

   Keep everything moving for about a minute until the sauce thickens, turns glossy, and coats every piece rather than pooling underneath. This is the moment the cornflour does its work: it goes from cloudy and thin to clear and clinging in seconds. As soon as the sauce sheets off a spoon and clings to the chicken, it is done. Cook it past that and it turns claggy, so pull it off the heat the moment it coats.

8. 8

   Finish with sesame and serve straight away

   Off the heat, scatter over toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion, and serve immediately over rice or noodles. A stir-fry is at its best the second it leaves the pan, while the vegetables are still crisp and the sauce is glossy; it dulls as it sits. Get everyone to the table first, then cook, not the other way round. Leftovers still make a good lunch, but the texture is never quite as sharp as the first serving.