Quick Chicken and Cabbage Stir Fry
This is another one-pan stir-fry recipe that demonstrates how the presentation of food can be transformed by cutting vegetables in different shapes and angles. I tried to recreate the style you might find in an Asian restaurant, using a basic blend of sauces to make it taste and look just like lunch in Beijing! All you need is a sharp knife and a basic knowledge of geometry.
Speaking of sharp knives, I have a story to tell. A friend of mine who was studying at a culinary school in Paris was perplexed when she started her classes. During his welcoming speech, the managing director of the school said that the students should prepare for their fingers to end up looking like “Michael Jackson”. My friend was puzzled, "What do my fingers have to do with Michael Jackson?" However, after a week of studying, she understood why. The very sharp knives in her brand new kit, combined with hours of learning how to cut vegetables using various techniques, left several of her fingers covered in bandages, just like Michael Jackson often had his face covered with face mask.
This recipe has very little to do with pop stars, whether deceased or alive, but it will show you how to make ordinary al dente vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and spring onions look a little fancier.
Ingredients:
3 chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
2 tbsp cornstarch
Season with salt and black pepper
STIR FRY:
2 tbsp peanut (or any other neutral) oil
1/2 onion
1 carrot
3 garlic cloves
1/2 small cabbage
3 sprigs of spring onion
SAUCE:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil, toasted
1 cup (240ml) water
Kitchen utensils: a large frying pan, chopping board, knife and spatula.