Broccoli Stir-Fry With Chicken and Mushrooms

by Mark Bittman

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces, the stems no more than 1/4-inch thick
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
•  Salt
• 1 cup water
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices and blotted dry
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
•  Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Put a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add half the oil, swirl it around, and immediately add half the garlic and ginger. Cook for 15 seconds, stirring, then add the broccoli, mushrooms and all but a sprinkling of the scallions. Raise heat to high, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their water and broccoli is bright green and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with salt; add 1 cup water. Stir and cook until almost all liquid evaporates and broccoli is almost tender, another minute or two more, then transfer everything to a plate.
3. Turn heat to medium, add remaining oil, then remaining garlic and ginger. Stir, then add chicken and turn heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has lost its pink color, three to five minutes.
4. Turn heat to medium. Return broccoli, mushrooms and juices to the pan, and stir. Add soy sauce, sprinkle with more salt and some pepper; add a little more water if mixture is dry. Raise heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced slightly and you’ve scraped up all the bits of chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish with remaining scallion and serve.

• Stir-fries work with virtually any combination of vegetables; protein-dense food (meat, poultry, fish, tofu, etc.) is optional. Use pork (like shoulder), shrimp, beef (like sirloin), or tofu instead of chicken; slice the meat thinly or the tofu into cubes. Use cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, snow peas, carrots or spinach in place of either the broccoli or the mushrooms or both. Or use other mushrooms. Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce and finish with a squeeze of lime to give it a Southeast Asian flavor. Use olive oil, skip the ginger, use onion instead of scallion, and substitute 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or thyme to give it a Mediterranean flavor profile. Use coconut milk instead of water and 1 tablespoon curry powder instead of soy sauce to give it an Indian flavor profile.