Five-Flavour Chicken And Eggplant

By á-170456

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken minced (breasts or thighs)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• FOR THE DISH:
• 3/4 pound Asian eggplant stems removed, and cut crosswise into 2" lengths
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1/4 cup Thai or regular basil leaves

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Marinate the chicken: Stir the chicken, cornstarch and rice wine together in a small bowl until well blended. Let stand for 10 minutes.

For the Sauce: Stir the soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, ketchup and chili garlic sauce together in a separate bowl until blended.

For the Dish: Pour enough oil into a 2-quart pan to fill 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees. Deep-fry the eggplant, in batches, until the skins are bright purple, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve the oil.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil. Scoop onto a warm serving platter, scatter the basil leaves over the top and serve hot.

This recipe yields 4 servings.