Thursday, September 13, 2012

Baby Artichoke And Chicken Stir Fry

Unlike regular size artichokes,  baby artichokes can be eaten whole with a little prep work. Their flavor is mild, and they make a perfect compliment to chicken in a stir fry.

  • 12-16 baby artichokes, cleaned and cut into quarters
  • 1 chicken breast, cut into small cubes
  • 2 carrots thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions chopped
  • 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
  • 1 can baby corn
  • 1 tablespoon sherry
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • oil for frying (peanut or olive)
Preparation of ingredients -  Place artichokes in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Remove the dark green outer leaves of the artichoke until the leaves become pale green . Cut off the stem and the top of the artichoke. Cut the artichoke into quarters and put in a bowl with acidulated water to prevent them turning brown. Acidulated water is water that lemon juice or vinegar has been added to. Below is a picture comparing a whole baby artichoke with a correctly prepped one. 



Slice up the carrots, green onions, and mushrooms and set aside. Mix the corn starch and soy sauce with the water and set aside. Cut up chicken breast into small cubes.

Cooking directions -  Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a hot wok. Wait until oil is hot, put in chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Add sherry and continue stir frying until chicken is almost cooked through and begins to brown. Remove chicken, add a little more oil and reheat the wok. Thoroughly rinse and drain the artichokes, pat dry and add to hot wok. Stir fry for two minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and add the corn starch mixture. As soon as the wok returns to temperature the corn starch will thicken. If sauce is too thick, add water a teaspoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached.  Serve over rice or noodles, add a few chunks of fresh honeydew and cantaloupe for a complete meal.




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