INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breasts, halved “fragments
a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder
season with pepper to taste
a third of a cup of cornstarch
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, peeled and cut into tiny pieces
2 cups florets of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small bits
1 cup rice, uncooked
Sauce:
brown sugar, 1/4 cup (packed)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. mirin (see note)
2 tblsp soy sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon vinegar (rice) (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 gallon of chicken broth
cornstarch, 1 tablespoon
INSTRUCTIONS
It’s critical to prepare your ingredients before beginning this dish. If you’re serving rice, start cooking it before starting the preparation. Cook rice as directed on the packet.
In a medium mixing basin, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients.
Cut your vegetables and onion into bite-size pieces (the broccoli should be cut very tiny) so that they cook simultaneously.
Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. “Place the pieces in a basin. Garlic powder and pepper are sprinkled over the pieces. To blend, stir everything together. Stir in the cornstarch until the chicken is well covered.
2 tablespoons oil, heated in a large pan over medium-high heat. Allow a few minutes for the pan to heat up.
Shake off any excess cornstarch before adding the chicken pieces to the pan (do not overcrowd the pan – I recommend doing two batches). Cook for 4 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 3-4 minutes (I flip using tongs to make it easy). Brown the chicken and make sure it’s entirely done (165F). I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan for the second batch. Once the chicken is done, transfer each batch to a platter.
If the pan is dry, drizzle in a little olive oil (about a teaspoon) before adding the onions. Cook, stirring a few times, for 1 minute.
Cook for 3 minutes, often stirring, after adding the broccoli and peppers. Tender-crisp vegetables are ideal. If you want them to be softer, cook them a bit longer.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the sauce (whisk it quickly before pouring it in). Allow to bubble for less than a minute, swirling regularly to cover everything. Remove the pan from the heat. Serve right away with rice or noodles.
