Recipe(tried): Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Jasmine Rice

Last night I made this Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry for dinner. DH and I both thought that the flavor was really very good. I have to say that this is the first stir fry that I have ever made that I have been happy with. The next time I make it, I might be tempted to double the sauce recipe since I felt more sauce would have been nice. I also might be tempted to add some mushrooms and red pepper (for color). I served it with Jasmine rice.

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CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY
From Food Network Kitchens
Yield: 4 servings

Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients

1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed
3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
About 1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)
3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional
Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like.

Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

Notes:
- The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time.
- Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions.
- The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?

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JASMINE RICE

Long grain jasmine rice is very popular in Thai cooking. The trick is to use less water, so that the rice is really being steamed instead of boiled during the second half of the cooking process.

1. Find a good brand of jasmine rice, from Thailand if possible.

2. Rinse the rice once, moving your fingers through the rice, until the water runs pure without any milkiness. (The directions on my package of rice said to rinse it 2 or 3 times. I had to rinse it about 5 times before the water was clear.) Drain.

3. Place the rice in a pot. Add enough water to cover the rice by 3/4 inch. An easy way to measure the water is to use the knuckle test - the water should come up to the first joint of your knuckle. (For 1 1/2 cups rice, I use just over 1 3/4 cups water).

4. Bring the rice to a boil, uncovered.

5. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and simmer until the rice is cooked through (about 20 minutes).

6. Remove the rice from the heat and allow to sit, still covered, for at least 10 minutes.

7. Fluff with chopsticks or a fork before serving.

Tips:
- The amount of water to add can vary depending on the rice. New crop rice - rice grown in the same year - is not as dry and needs less water.
- Cooking jasmine rice in a rice cooker can be tricky. Try reducing the amount of water called for in the rice cooker's directions - even to a 1:1 ratio if necessary.
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice gives about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice.
- Cold jasmine rice is very good for making fried rice.