Vietnamese Chicken Stir-Fry with Mushrooms and Snow Peas

This recipe strikes me as being more Chinese than Vietnamese as there is not a drop of fish sauce. I may be new to Vietnamese cooking, but most everything seems to include this quintessential Vietnamese ingredient. No matter, this tasty dish balances crunchy and soft textures with just a touch of heat from the ginger and white pepper. Serve with brown rice for an easy, healthy one-dish weeknight meal. 30 minutes to prep, 10 minutes to cook. No lie.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Oyster Mushrooms and Snow Peas
Based on the recipe in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen

Note – If serving with brown rice, start the rice before prepping the ingredients for the stir-fry.

¾ lb. boneless, skinless chicken (breast or thigh) sliced across the grain ¼ inch thick

Marinade
½ t sugar
1 t cornstarch
1 t Shaoxing rice wine* or dry sherry
1 T soy sauce

Sauce
½ t sugar
Pinch white pepper
1½ t cornstarch mixed with 1 T water
1 T soy sauce
1½ t oyster sauce
2 t sesame oil

Stir-Fry
2 T vegetable oil
¾ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
½ small onion, thinly sliced
½ lb. fresh oyster or shiitake mushrooms, torn into bite size pieces if too big
¼ lb. snow peas, strings removed and cut in half
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
4 T water, used 2 T at a time

Combine the ingredients for the marinade until smooth in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken, stir to coat and set aside.

In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok heat one tablespoon of oil over high heat and stir-fry the ginger for 30 seconds. When you start to smell the ginger add the chicken in a single layer and let cook without stirring for a minute or two until it starts to brown. Stir once and finish browning the other side. Remove from the pan while still slightly undercooked. It will finish cooking with the vegetables.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil still over high heat and add the onions. Stir-fry for one minute and add the remaining vegetables and two tablespoons of water. Stir-fry for a minute or two until the water has evaporated. Add the second two tablespoons of water and repeat the process.

Add the browned chicken to the vegetables and stir fry for a minute or two until the chicken is cooked through. Add the sauce and stir-fry for a minute to combine the flavors and allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Serve with rice.

*Shaoxing wine, also called yellow wine, is a Chinese wine found in some Chinese markets. If unavailable dry sherry is a good substitute. In either case avoid using wines labeled as cooking wine as they generally contain added salt.