Add Oriental Flair to Your Meals with Stir-Frying


Travel to the Orient and you'll definitely see one of the most ancient of cooking methods in practice: Stir-frying.

This cooking method have started out as an Oriental method of cooking, but many others certainly have adopted it as well. That's because there are a lot of advantages of stir-frying foods.

It's fast.You slice the food thinly, so only a brief sauté is necessary. Prepare all your ingredients beforehand and actual cooking time is even faster, leaving you more time for your dinner guests. Fast cooking saves you fuel as well.

It's nutritious. Stir-frying uses a minimum amount of cooking oil. And fast cooking retains more vitamins and minerals in vegetables.

It's delicious. Meat is not overcooked and tough; vegetables retain a nice crunchy texture.

It's easy.During hot weather, stir-frying can really help keep the kitchen cool.

This Chicken-Pineapple Stir Fry can be a delicious, dramatic entrée at your next buffet. Or, if you want to put on a show, you might impress your guests and do some table-top cooking.

Either way, serve it along with a bowl of hot, steamy rice and a fresh garden salad, and you'll have an easy meal.

Chicken-Pineapple Stir Fry

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ cup cooking oil

1½ cups thin strips celery (1½ inches long)

1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

1 6-ounce package frozen pea pods, blanched drained and hot

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

Partially freeze chicken to firm it, then slice diagonally, across the grain, into thin strips. Set aside.

In a plastic or paper bag, combine cornstarch, salt, and garlic salt. Add chicken and shake to coat with cornstarch mixture.

In a wok or skillet, quickly brown chicken strips, one-third at a time, in hot oil; remove from pan and keep warm. Place celery strips and onion wedges in the pan and lightly brown.

Stir in sherry and soy sauce; stir in chicken strips and pineapple chunks and cook until chicken is no longer pink on the inside.

Fold in hot pea pods and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings.

The copyright of the article Add Oriental Flair to Your Meals with Stir-Frying in Gourmet Travel is owned by Eve Carr. Permission to republish Add Oriental Flair to Your Meals with Stir-Frying in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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