20, Apr 2011
Stir-fry noodles with chicken and broccoli

I based this recipe off the general approach in our favorite pad thai recipe, but with a soy-hoisin base instead of fish sauce-ketchup. It came out pretty good, though the sauce could be lightened a little (maybe reduce the soy and hoisin, maybe add a little lime or something). The noodles also came out slightly gluey, I think from being thoroughly cooked and then absorbing all that sauce; undercooking them a little would probably help. I used brown rice vermicelli noodles, but using regular pad thai noodles, or thick chinese wheat noodles should be good as well.

Ingredients

8-12 oz brown rice noodles, rice noodles, or thick wheat noodles (vermicelli or rice stick style)
1 lb boneless chicken breast, trimmed of fat and sliced across the grain in 1/4″ slices
1-2 heads of broccoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2″ ginger, peeled and cut in matchsticks
2 scallions (or spring garlic shoots or negi green onions), sliced

Marinade (these amounts are really approximate)
1/4 c soy sauce
1/8 c shaoxing wine
1/8 c rice wine vinegar
2 tsp corn starch

Sauce
1/8 c soy sauce
1/8 c hoisin sauce
1/8 c rice wine vinegar
1/8 c water
2 tsp sugar
vegetable oil

Directions

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl, until the corn starch is fully dissolved. Add the chicken and let marinate for 10-15 minutes. Prepare the noodles according to their directions, undercooking them slightly to prevent them from becoming too gluey. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, making sure the noodles do not clump. Separate the broccoli heads from the stems. Peel the stems and cut into 1-2″ matchsticks. Separate the heads into long, thin florets. Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Drain the chicken from the marinade thoroughly. Heat a wok on high heat and add oil, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. Add the chicken and spread it out in a single layer along the wok bottom. Allow to sear without mixing for 1-2 minutes. Stir-fry the chicken until just cooked and remove to a plate. Add a little more oil and stir-fry the broccoli florets for several minutes and remove to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and add a little more oil. Saute the garlic and ginger briefly until fragrant. Add the scallions, the sauce mix, and the noodles. Toss thoroughly and let stir-fry for a few minutes until the sauce is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken, broccoli florets, and broccoli stems. Stir-fry for a couple more minutes then serve with chili sauce for heat.