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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
30 minutes
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Makes
enough for 4
Author Notes
I am a fan of cupboard love recipes. Open the pantry door, search deep in forgotten corners of the deep freezer.....and get going. Done in no time..... —Kitchen Butterfly
Ingredients
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1 spring onion, sliced (white and green separated)
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1 chicken breast, chopped up in little blocks
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Light soy sauce
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1 teaspoon Shaosing rice wine or dry Sherry
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1 small clove of garlic, minced
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1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
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1 tablespoon of groundnut oil/oil with high smokepoint
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200g fresh or frozen vegetables
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250ml water
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3-4 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
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Optional: Fresh chili pepper, to taste
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Basil and roasted peanuts to garnish
Directions
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Marinate the chicken bits by mixing with 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce, Shaosing rice wine and the minced garlic and ginger. Leave for flavours to marry for about 15 minutes at room temperature. You can marinade the chicken ahead of time but ensure it is covered and refigerated.
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Put the wok on medium fire and let it heat up. Don’t add any oil till it is hot. This ensures that when you start cooking the pan is properly heated and allows the chicken and vegetables stir-fry well and evenly.
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Then put in a teaspoon of oil and stir-fry the vegetables for a couple of minutes – no more. You could add a splash of soy sauce to taste (about a tablespoon) if you want. (Sometimes I do it the other way round if I have ten balls in the air…. frying the chicken first before the veggies. It has no effect whatsoever on the delicious, delectable end, so do as you will).
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Remove the vegetables out of the wok and then heat another teaspoon of oil. Add the spring onion whites for 30 seconds and then put the marinaded chicken in. Be sure to move the chicken around in the pan so it cooks well. It is (nearly) cooked when the bits have turned white from their initial raw pink state.
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Then remove chicken from the pan and rinse pan out by pouring in water to make a light stock. Reserve this stock.
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Put the wok back on the heat and add the peanut butter. After a few seconds, it will begin to melt. When it starts melting, whisk/mix in most of the light stock, reserving about 50ml. Let it come to the boil and then turn down heat to low. If using chilies, add now.
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Put chicken in and let cook for a couple of minutes. After that, add vegetables to the pan, give a good stir and season to taste with the soy sauce. If sauce isn’t quite saucy enough, add the rest of the reserved stock.
Let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to your taste. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the green spring onions over it.
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Serve immediately with a garnish of Basil Chiffonade, dry-roasted Peanuts and Fried Rice or Noodles
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