Peruvian Stir-Fried Chicken & Noodles (Tallarín Saltado)

This chicken and noodle stir-fry dish, tallarín saltado, is a classic Peruvian dish. According to Milk Street, simple stir-fry dishes like this are a staple of the Chinese-influenced cuisine known as chifa. Chifa cuisine combines South American and East Asian flavors and ingredients.

This recipe was adapted from Milk Street, contributed by Malcolm Jackson. Jackson uses balsamic vinegar in place of the more traditional red wine vinegar and substitutes a jalapeño or Fresno chile for the ají amarillo chile that would be used in Peru. The dish was fresh, fast and fabulous. We loved it!

We ate the stir-fry with roasted broccoli- a strange combination- but it was ultimately a nice compliment. 🙂

Yield: Serves 6

• 12 ounces spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 1/2 T oyster sauce
• 3 T light soy sauce
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 4 T grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5), trimmed and cut into 3/4 strips
• 1 large red onion, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
• 6-7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 Fresno or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and thinly sliced lengthwise
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
• 1/4 cup plus 2 T lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep all remaining ingredients.
2. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain. (I cooked my pasta for 5 minutes.)
3. In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, soy sauce and vinegar; set aside.
4. In a 14-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. (I used a stainless steel skillet.)
5. Add the chicken, onion, and garlic, distributing the ingredients evenly, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring, until the chicken is well browned on the bottom and releases easily from the pan, about 4 to 5 minutes. (See Tip)
6. Add the oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the bell pepper and chile; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the pasta and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, tossing constantly, until the noodles are al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Off heat, stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
10. Place half of the stir-fry in a serving bowl and sprinkle with half of the cilantro. Repeat with the remaining stir-fry and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side, as desired.

Tip: Don’t stir the chicken too soon after adding it to the skillet. Left undisturbed, it forms a fond, or browned bits that stick to the skillet. The dish’s flavor develops when the oyster sauce mixture deglazes that fond. After adding the pasta water, stir vigorously; this helps the sauce come together.

Pork & Asparagus Stir Fry

I loved that this was a veggie-loaded dish. Other members of my family may have complained that they wished it had more meat. 😉 Everyone enjoyed it!

I used asparagus combined with farm stand sugar snap peas and my CSA garlic scapes and bunching broccoli. Any crisp vegetable could be incorporated. We ate it over rice drizzled with Sriracha to add extra heat- perfect.

This Sichuan-inspired stir-fry recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Deb Perelman.

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 to 2 T peanut or vegetable oil, divided (I used 6 teaspoons)
• 2+ lbs crispy green vegetables (I used 1 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on a diagonal into 1″–2″ pieces with 1 lb bunching broccoli, cut into 2″ pieces, and 2 cups sugar snaps)
• 8 oz ground pork
• pinch or dash of red pepper flakes, optional
• 4 to 6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped
• 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped, optional
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 2″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 T Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or medium-dry sherry
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• white or brown rice, cooked, for serving
• store-bought chili crisp or sriracha, for serving, optional

1. Heat 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high. (I used a 14-inch stainless steel skillet.)
2. Once pan is hot (oil will be lightly smoking), add half of the vegetables and a couple pinches of salt and cook, tossing only once or twice so the pieces have a chance to blister, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet (no need to wipe it out) and repeat process with remaining vegetables.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high; add remaining 1 or 2 teaspoons of peanut oil to skillet, then add pork, spreading out into an even layer. Season with a couple pinches of salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook, undisturbed, until meat begins to brown underneath, about 2 minutes.
4. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and add scallions, garlic scapes (if using), garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until pork is crisp and mixture is very fragrant, about 2 minutes. (I used a mini-food processor to finely chop the scallions, garlic, garlic scapes, and ginger.)
5. Add wine and soy sauce and return the vegetable to the skillet. Cook, turning to coat with pork mixture, until heated through, about 1 minute.
6. Transfer stir-fry to a platter or large shallow bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve with rice and hot sauce.

Shrimp & Egg Fried Rice

This is a quick and tasty comfort food dish. It is from a century-old dim sum restaurant in New York City. I think we’re going to have to dine there soon! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, adapted from Jonathan Wu of Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York, contributed by Wilson Tang. I increased the amount of shrimp to convert this side dish into a main dish. Perfect.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
 (I used white Basmati rice)
• coarse salt
• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
 (I used canola oil)
• 24 raw medium (21-25 count per pound) shrimp (1 pound), peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and a generous pinch of salt, and return to a boil. Stir once; cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, and let steam for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and spread on a large baking sheet to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. In a very large skillet or wok (I used a 14-inch skillet), heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering.
4. Add the shrimp, and stir-fry over moderately high heat until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
5. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the eggs, and stir-fry over moderately high heat until small curds form and the eggs are nearly cooked, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the rice, sugar, pepper, and a generous pinch of salt, and stir-fry until the rice is hot, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp, peas, and soy sauce, and stir-fry until the shrimp are cooked through and the peas are hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

One Year Ago:

• Baked Rice with Chicken & Mushrooms
• Baked Spinach Rice

Two Years Ago:

• Oat Bran Bread

Four Years Ago:

• Jose Garces’ One-Pot Arroz con Pollo

Five Years Ago:

• Jambalaya
• Pork Chops with Apples & Cider

Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

I had to make this dish because I have to try as many “mustard chicken” recipes as possible, but also because this dish was included in the “Top 20 New York Times Recipes of 2014.” The beauty of this recipe is that it minimizes the boneless skinless chicken breast cooking time in order to keep the meat moist. It also utilizes a Chinese technique called velveting to doubly ensure this moistness. This recipe also shines because of the delicious creme fraiche-mustard sauce that the chicken cooks in. Mmmmm….

I did make a mistake though. I doubled the recipe and used very large chicken breasts- which I halved. My mistake was halving them into two smaller- but still thick pieces. I should have cut them horizontally into 2 thinner cutlets! (What was I thinking?!?) I had to increase the cooking time and I may have missed some of the beauty of this dish…. This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. Learn from my mistake and try this technique!

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved, each piece about 6 ounces
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 egg whites (about 4 tablespoons)
• 8 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 2 tablespoon grated horseradish
• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons roughly chopped thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish

1. Trim chicken breasts to a uniform size, shape and thickness; they should be about 1/2 inch thick. (**If using larger breasts, slice them into 1/2-inch-thick cutlets.**) Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Velvet the chicken: In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, then whisk in cornstarch until lump-free. Add chicken breasts and coat well with cornstarch mixture, then cover and marinate for 30 minutes. (Chicken may also be marinated several hours ahead and refrigerated.)
3. Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl, stir together Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dried mustard, horseradish and crème fraîche. Set aside.
4. Put butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lay chicken breasts in the pan and sauté very lightly for 30 seconds a side without browning. Remove breasts and blot on paper towels. Discard remaining oil and wipe pan.
5. Return skillet to stove and add mustard and crème fraîche mixture and chicken broth. Whisk together to make a thin sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Add breasts and simmer for 1 minute, then turn breasts over, cover pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 1 or 2 minutes more, until meat is firm to the touch. (I cooked until the center of the meat reached 165 degrees F.)
6. Transfer breasts to a warm platter. Bring sauce to a boil, add chopped thyme and reduce until slightly thickened.
7. Spoon sauce over breasts, sprinkle with chives, if desired, and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Caramel Chicken

Two Years Ago:

• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
• Pork Tenderloin with Mustard-Wine Sauce
• Chicken Teriyaki Plate

Three Years Ago:

• Pork Tenderloin with Apples & Leeks