2663. CHICKEN with BOK CHOY and BACON

1 1/2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into slices 1/8″ thick by 1/4″ by 1″
1 tablespoon premium light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shao Hsing wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
4-6 slices smoked thick bacon, cut crossways into 1/2 slices
1 tablespoon raw sugar
5 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 1/2 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and minced finely
6 large scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 1/2 tablespoons premium light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing wine
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 pound Shanghai or baby bok choy, rinsed, bottom trimmed away and cut into 1″ chunks
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth into which 1 teaspoon of cornstarch has been dissolved
dark green tops of the scallions, cut into thin slices on the diagonal
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Gently toss chicken breast slices with the first measures of light soy sauce, Shao hsing wine and cornstarch, and allow to marinate at least twenty minutes. Heat wok on high heat until a thin ribbon of smoke spirals up from the hot metal. Add peanut or canola oil, and let it heat for thirty seconds. Add the bacon, and stir well to separate each piece out from the others. Cook, stirring, until the bacon has rendered its fat and is done but not crispy. Remove from the wok and set aside. To the wok add the chicken, spreading it out into a single layer against the bottom of the wok. Sprinkle with the sugar, garlic, ginger and scallion slices. Leave the chicken undisturbed for a minute or so, until the bottom of the chicken begins to brown, then cook, stirring until 2/3 of the chicken is no longer pink, but white and brown. Sprinkle the chicken with the soy sauce, wine and vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the wok. Add the bacon back to the wok. Add the bok choy and the broth or stock and cook, stirring, and scraping any more browned bits from the bottom of the wok, until the bok choy wilts slightly and a sauce forms. Sprinkle with the scallion tops, drizzle with sesame oil, and give the whole thing a final stir before scraping it out of the wok into a warmed serving. Serve with steamed rice and really good Chinese tea.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Barbara, Tigers & Strawberries, January 26, 2009