Stir-Fried Chicken, Onions, and Celery
Many of us regularly season food with a sprinkling of black pepper, but rarely do we use it as a bold flavor stroke. Black pepper, when it’s more than a background note, can engage the senses with a warming bite and an aroma that reminds me, to varying degrees, of chili, cloves, and citrus. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese and Vietnamese, feature versions of a spicy black pepper sauce for stir-fried meats and fish; my recipe has Thai accents, and uses chicken rather than the more common pork. If you use white-meat chicken, reduce the time you cook it by a minute. Serve with steamed rice.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2½ tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
10 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon freshly fine-ground black pepper
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 medium onions, cut into 3/8-inch wedges
4 large celery ribs, cut on the bias into ½-inch pieces
3 scallions, thinly sliced
In a medium bowl, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and fish sauce, and set aside for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and fish sauce with the lime juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons water, and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the garlic, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of oil, and set aside.
In a large, nonstick skillet set over high heat, heat 1½ teaspoons of the oil until it ripples. Add half the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon and continue cooking until just barely cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Return the skillet to high heat, add 1½ teaspoons oil, and cook the remaining chicken in the same way.
Return the skillet to high heat, add 1½ teaspoons of oil, and heat until it ripples; add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pieces begin to soften, about 2½ minutes; add them to the bowl with the chicken. Return the skillet to high heat, add the remaining 1½ teaspoons of oil, and heat until it ripples; add the celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender-crisp, about 2½ minutes. Use the wooden spoon to clear the center of the pan, add the garlic and pepper mixture to the center, and cook, mashing mixture, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir it into the celery. Add the cooked chicken and onions and any accumulated juices to the skillet and stir to mix. Stir the soy-and-fish-sauce mixture to recombine, then add it to the skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with the scallions, and serve at once.