Portobello Stir Fry w/Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce

By mariannefeldman

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/print/detail.asp?docid=7602
STIR-FRIED PORTOBELLOS WITH SWEET CHILI-GARLIC SAUCE



Published May 1, 2006.
Serves 3 to 4.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
When designing a satisfying vegetarian stir-fry recipe, we chose hefty portobellos to stand in for meat and then followed our tried-and-true procedure for stir-fries: Cook the mushrooms in batches and set aside (we added a glaze to boost the flavor); steam-sauté the longer-cooking vegetables (such as carrots and broccoli) and set them aside; stir-fry the softer vegetables (such as celery, bell pepper, greens, and aromatics); then add everything back to the pan along with a flavorful sauce.

This stir-fry cooks quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before you begin cooking. Serve with steamed white rice.

Ingredients

• Glaze
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• xxx
• Sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• xxxx
• Vegetables
• 4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 - 8 portobello mushrooms (each 4 to 6 inches), stems discarded, gills removed (see illustrations below), and cut into 2-inch wedges (about 7 cups)
• 2 cups carrots (sliced) or other longer-cooking vegetable from the chart below
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 cup snow peas or other quick-cooking vegetable from the chart below
• 1 pound leafy greens from chart below
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Whisk glaze ingredients in small bowl; whisk sauce ingredients in separate small bowl. In third small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1 teaspoon oil. Set bowls aside.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn mushrooms and reduce heat to medium; cook until second sides are browned and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add glaze mixture and cook, stirring, until glaze is thick and mushrooms are coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to plate; rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet; cook until carrots are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer carrots to plate with mushrooms.

4. Heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add snow peas and bok choy stems or napa cabbage cores and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 1 minute. Push vegetables to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon or spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into greens.

5. Return all vegetables to skillet along with sauce. Toss to combine and cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, top with sesame seeds, if using, and serve immediately.

Choosing and Preparing Vegetables for a Stir-Fry

Portobello mushrooms and eggplant are the mainstays in our stir-fries. As for the other vegetables, use those called for in the recipe or switch them with another vegetable from the same category below. We recommend using one harder, longer-cooking vegetable paired with quicker-cooking vegetable and a leafy green (either napa cabbage or bok choy).

Longer-cooking vegetables (to yield 2 cups)

4 small carrots, peeled, sliced on bias 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound broccoli, stalks discarded, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 pound cauliflower, core removed, florets cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 pound medium asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut on bias into 1 1/2-inch lengths

Quicker-cooking vegetables (to yield 1 cup)

1 medium bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ounces snow peas, strings and tough ends trimmed
3 medium ribs celery, ends trimmed, cut on bias 1/2 inch thick
1 small zucchini or summer squash, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and cut on bias 1/4 inch thick

Leafy Greens (to yield 2 cups stems and 4 cups greens)

1 small bok choy or napa cabbage (about 1 pound), stems/cores and greens separated, stems/cores cut into 1/4-inch strips, greens into 3/4-inch-thick strips
TECHNIQUE
Preparing Vegetables for Stir-Frying


Napa Cabbage: Separate leaves, removing the core of each leaf with a wedge-shaped cut. Slice the leafy greens crosswise into 3/4-inch strips. Cut the cores into 1/4-inch strips.


Portobello Mushrooms: After removing the stem, gently scrape the underside of the mushroom with a dinner spoon to remove the feathery gills, which can impart a muddy taste to the stir-fry.


Zucchini: Halve zucchini lengthwise and gently scrape out the seeds from each half with a small spoon. Cut in half lengthwise again, then cut into 1/4-inch slices on a 45-degree bias.