Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry

CHICKEN & ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY

This quick and healthful chicken and asparagus stir-fry meal is perfect for busy weeknights. It’s the ideal time of year to give this recipe a whirl!

A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR STIR-FRIES

In this recipe, you’ll note that we’ve used the same basic formula as in our other quick stir-fries:

• If you want to ensure that your meat stays soft even after it’s been cooked, consider marinating it in a mixture of cornstarch and oil (as well as seasonings like oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper). We’re making the chicken extra juicy in this recipe by adding water to the marinade.
• As the process of making a stir-fry is so fast, you don’t want any of your sauce ingredients to simmer too long or burn; thus, pre-mixing the sauce is often important. Rather than producing a separate slurry of cornstarch, I incorporate it into the marinade itself because the components don’t need to cook long before thickening.
• Cook the beef in a skillet over high heat. Remove the meat from the wok when it’s about 75% done cooking. As a result, the meat doesn’t get overcooked, and the juices remain intact.
• All of the pieces are there: The sauce and chicken are then re-added to the wok, along with any aromatics (such as garlic or ginger) and veggies.

This formula ensures that each and every component is produced to the highest standard. It may appear to be a lengthy process, but it only takes approximately 20 minutes!

FOR STIR-FRIES, HOW TO CUT ASPARAGUS?

Does anyone recall Yan Can Cook, Martin Yan’s PBS cookery show? When we were youngsters, my sister Kaitlin and I loved watching it with our dad.

Our food-obsessed audience enjoyed his energizing enthusiasm, authentic cooking advice, and excursions to Chinatown businesses.

Asparagus for stir-fries was one of the topics he covered in one of his episodes. The way I chop them for this recipe is precisely the same!

Shortening each piece’s fibers by slicing them diagonally (on a pretty steep angle) makes the asparagus considerably more delicate. As a result, the sauce has a greater surface area to adhere to.

For this recipe, only use fresh asparagus; any that is wrinkled or yellowing should be avoided. As long as it’s fresh, we prefer medium-thick asparagus for stir-frying.

The recipe is here!

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN AND MARINADE:

• 12 ounces of thinly sliced chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of natural oil
• 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce

REST OF THE DISH:

• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of neutral oil
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1 pound of asparagus, sliced on a sharp angle (2-inch pieces)
• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour water, cornstarch, oil, and oyster sauce into a medium basin and mix well. Make sure that all of the liquid has been absorbed by the chicken by mixing it thoroughly. Set aside to marinate for 15-30 minutes.
2. Add water (or chicken stock), cornstarch, and white pepper to a separate bowl.
3. Make sure your wok is hot enough to smoke before adding 1 tablespoon of oil. Allow the chicken to cook unattended for 30 seconds before moving it about the pan. After 30 seconds, or roughly 75% of the food is done, add another 30 seconds of stir-frying time. Set aside after being removed from the wok.
4. Add the minced garlic and a further tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and cook for another 15 seconds. 1-minute stir fry. Stir in the Shaoxing wine and cook for a further 30 seconds before serving.
5. Make sure the cornstarch is well integrated into your sauce mixture while you’re working on other things. Sautee until somewhat thickened, then remove from heat.
6. Cook for a further 30 seconds before serving. The sauce should really be thick enough to coat a spoon, and the asparagus should be absolutely crisp and delicate.
7. If necessary, add extra salt to taste. Serve with rice as a side dish.