Chicken with Zucchini and Water Chestnuts
Chicken with zucchini and water chestnuts is a departure from the usual chez IK. It’s not a stir-fry in the classic sense of high heat, fast cooking. Instead, the heat is turned down, and the wok gets a lid.
New table? New cups? Nope. The above is dollhouse furniture. I have no dollhouse-sized wok. Yet.
The chicken in question may be thigh or breast meat. Bear in mind breast cooks more quickly and is prone to dryness, so you may need to add more rice wine to the dish.
As for zucchini, it is in season year-round in California. Should this not be so where you live, feel free to substitute accordingly.
Technically an “aquatic vegetable” (yes, I looked it up), the water chestnut is native to Asia, and comes into season during North American winter. This means I am generally forced to resort to the canned variety, which are a pale imitation of the real thing. Canned water chestnuts benefit from a rinse under the tap, but as of yesterday (4/27/22) California residents are subject to further water restrictions. So no rinsing of water chestnuts will transpire around here.
It must be said that chicken with zucchini is a subtle dish. So subtle, in fact, that some may find it bland. For those, there is always chili oil, in measured amounts, along with a judicious scatter of Sichuan peppercorns.
I’ve served this with rice and noodles, and feel rice has the slight edge. This is strictly a matter of personal preference.
A blog is never a one-sided event, and I thank you for reading.
Chicken with Zucchini and Water Chestnuts
yield: serves 2-3 for dinner with rice or noodles
Prep time: the bulk of prep is slicing the vegetables and chicken, which takes perhaps ten minutes. Actual cooking time is 10-15 minutes. If you are making rice, that takes about 20 minutes.
approximately 1 pound/454 grams boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, ideally white, but black is okay
2 teaspoons regular or mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine, plus more for stir-frying
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 eight ounce/225 gram can water chestnuts (see notes)
2 zucchini, scrubbed if organic, peeled if not, sliced into half-moon shapes
2 tablespoons peanut or sunflower oil
Additional salt, to taste
fresh ginger, to taste
To serve:
Rice or noodles
chili oil
sesame oil
chili crisp oil
Sichuan peppercorns
Chinkiang vinegar
You will need a bowl and either a wok or a large frying pan to make this dish.
Slice the chicken into pieces that are easily picked up with chopsticks or a fork. Place these in a large bowl. Add the cornstarch, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and rice wine. Mix well with your clean hands or a spoon. This step may be done several hours ahead of time. If so, cover the bowl and refrigerate, bringing it back to room temperature before beginning to cook.
Place the wok (or pan) on high heat and allow it to get hot. Add the peanut oil and step back–you don’t want to get spattered or burned.
Turn the heat down slightly and add the scallions and garlic, cooking for about two minutes, stirring all the while.
Depending on the size of your wok, you may need to cook the chicken in batches. If this is the case, have a clean bowl ready. Cook the chicken for about three minutes, moving the cooked chicken into the clean bowl and cooking the second batch. If your wok can accommodate all the chicken, cook it.
Once all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down to medium. Return the chicken to the pan and add the water chestnuts. Give everything a good stir.
Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes, stirring.
At this point the wok may need more liquid; add more rice wine, or if you prefer, water.
If your wok has a lid, cover it. If not, that’s okay. Turn the heat down so the contents are simmering. Stir now and again. Add a little salt. There should be some liquid at the bottom of the pan.
Total cooking time is about 15 minutes. You can adjust this by fiddling with the heat: it can now cook quickly by stir-frying over high heat, or you can slow it down significantly by placing the pan on a small burner and turning the heat down.
Serve with rice or noodles. Soy sauce, chili crisp, and sesame oil at the table will enhance the dish.
Leftovers may be refrigerated up to four days. Freezing isn’t recommended.
Notes:
Canned water chestnuts are sold whole and sliced in the US. Sliced are best for this recipe. If you live in an area where drought isn’t an issue, canned water chestnuts benefit from a rinse under the tap. Otherwise, skip this step, as I do.
M
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