Family Favourite Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 130g broccoli florets
• 200g cauliflower florets
• 200g green beans
• 80g snow peas, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 onion, cut into 2cm-thick wedges
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 600g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and cubed (thigh is the best cut for stir-frying)
• ⅓ cup Shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 carrot, peeled, cut into rounds
• 1 red capsicum, cut into strips
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced thickly
• 120g frozen baby green peas
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ cup green shallots, sliced diagonally
• ½ cup beansprouts, optional
• cooked rice or noodles of your choice, to serve

Method

1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and blanch quickly for 1–2 minutes, or until the vegetables are vibrant in colour. Blanch beans and snow peas for 20 seconds. Place in a colander under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.

2. Heat the wok over a high heat until hot. Add the sesame oil, onion, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry, using a wide-base slotted spoon, until lightly coloured. A slotted spoon helps to keep everything on the move in the wok.

3. Cook the chicken in two batches and stir-fry until it is golden. Be sure it has a good colour before you go to the next step.

4. Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the wok and incorporate all the caramelised juices. Once the wine has evaporated, add the soy sauce and stir to coat the chicken. Transfer to a covered bowl to keep warm while cooking the vegetables.

5. Heat the peanut oil in the pan. Add the carrot and capsicum, stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the zucchini and snow peas, stir-fry for 1 minute. Add all the other blanched vegetables, stir-fry until cooked the way you like them. Add the frozen peas and return the chicken and any juices in the bowl to the wok. Stir-fry until well combined.

6. I like to add the oyster sauce combined with water at this point, or you could add other sauces such as sweet chilli, hoisin or char siu. Add as much or little as you like. Stir-fry until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.

7. Remove from the heat and add the green shallots and the beansprouts. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.