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2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons Chinese black bean sauce

2 teaspoons Chinese chili paste with garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

3 tablespoons peanut, sunflower, or canola oil

1 onion, halved and sliced lengthwise

1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large

1 cup chicken broth (page 127)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Hot cooked rice, for serving

1 Combine the chicken, ginger, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, rice wine, black bean sauce, chili paste, sugar, and sesame oil in a medium bowl.

2 Heat a large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl in the hot wok. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Scrape the mixture out of the wok and into a medium bowl; keep warm.

3 Wipe out the wok. Heat another 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in the wok. Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken.

4 Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir-fry until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and ½ cup of the chicken broth. Cover and steam until the Brussels sprouts are barely tender, about 3 minutes.

5 Return the chicken and vegetables to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute to heat through. Stir the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup chicken broth and add to the wok. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and coats the Brussels sprouts, about 2 minutes longer. Serve at once over hot rice.

Chicken and Chinese Cabbage Stir-Fry

Serves 4–6

I confess to an impossible fondness for the chicken chow mein of my youth. This recipe is an unabashed attempt to re-create it. Feel free to add those delicious little crispy noodles if you share my nostalgia.

CHICKEN AND MARINADE

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (½-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

VEGETABLES

3 tablespoons peanut, sunflower, or canola oil

1 onion, halved and very thinly slivered (sliced vertically)

8 cups sliced Chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, bok choy, or a combination

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 cups mung bean sprouts

1 (2-inch) piece daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups chicken broth (page 127)

2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Hot cooked white rice, for serving

1 Turn each chicken breast half on its side and cut into very thin slices. Cut the slices into bite-size pieces. Combine the chicken, garlic, ginger, wine, sesame oil, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Toss to coat. Add the cornstarch and mix well. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

2 Heat a large wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil and swirl in the hot wok. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Scrape the chicken out of the wok and keep warm.

3 Wipe out the wok. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the wok over high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry until limp, about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and soy sauce and stir-fry until the cabbage is barely tender, about 4 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and daikon and stir-fry for 1 minute.

4 Return the chicken to the wok, along with the broth. Stir-fry for 2 minutes longer to heat everything through. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve at once over hot rice.

Kitchen Note: The way the chicken is cut is key to the recipe. It’s easiest to cut into thin slices if it’s partially frozen, so put it in the freezer an hour or so before you begin cooking. Cut into thin horizontal slices, as if you were carving slices from the breast of the whole bird. Then cut the slices into bite-size squares.