Hunan Chicken with General Yen - No Bitter Tea Required

I have been without Internet, except via smartphone, for two days. My advice to you is that you should avoid dropping a full glass of water on anything electronic. Killed my poor, sad, outdated (wait for it) DSL modem. Yes, DSL modem. Ten years old, actually, as per original box which I was baffled to discover I had kept. Anyone can tell from this extremely rudimentary blog format that yours truly is not the smartest microchip in the processor when it comes to technology.

So in celebration for being ALIVE, SHE’S ALIVE again and connected, posting a mid-week recipe.

Colonel Mustard* and I were chatting last night, about movies from the 30s and 40s. Seems he has a bit of a, ahem, yen for The Stanwyck. Who doesn’t? I’m hetero and I would have done her.

Double Indemnity was a high watermark, but the Colonel had never heard of The Bitter Tea of General Yen. It’s a fab pre-code movie, directed by Frank Capra. The General is Nils Asther, a Dane who played in yellowface. The times were different: couldn’t have a real Asian touching a white woman on the silver screen. Stanwyck plays a missionary who is kidnapped by the General. She eventually warms to him, helped down that path by an erotic dream sequence. Post-code, it would have taken decades for that scene to play to audiences. Plus, she gets to call him a yellow bastard at one point. Fun!

Thanks to La Torpille Rose, I have a DVD transferred from VHS that I guard like it’s the Crown Jewels.

It’s Asian night! Hunan cuisine is among the hottest in China. My Petal and I are chiliheads, and I make this for her when we have girlfriend mice time when her husband cat is away. Hunan Chicken isn’t traditional; it’s just something I throw together with my Go To hot marinade. It’s simple, spicy and tasty. I have toned it down here so feel free to have a free hand with the chile garlic sauce. Grilled baby bok choy are given a brush with some black bean garlic sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, and served three or four bok choy halves to a person. I serve it with brown rice.

Mangia!

*You can call me Miss Scarlett

Hunan Chicken

(You can substitute pork or shrimp. Pork will cook in about the same amount of time, but the shrimp won’t need more than a few minutes)

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2” pieces (I usually go with thighs rather than breasts. More chickeny)

2 bunches green onions, reserve a couple for sprinkling on top of finished dish and three to go in marinade, slice the remaining onions on an angle into 2” pieces, use almost all the green

I bunch cilantro, chopped finely, divided in half, reserve for sprinkling on top (I don’t bother taking the leaves off the stems. The stems have good flavor too, and it’s a pain)

2” long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Chili garlic sauce (like Sriracha but with garlic also. You can increase this to taste if you'd like. I usually add a spoonful or two more when I make it for Petal)

1/3 cup Tamari (you could use regular soy sauce)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp sesame oil (Use 1 for marinade and 1 for cooking)

1 tbsp peanut oil

Sesame seeds, optional

Chop three green onions, and put in a bowl with 1/2 of the cilantro, ginger, garlic and liquid ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces and combine. Marinate for about 2 or 3 hours.

Heat a wok or large deep-sided skillet on very high heat. Add the remaining sesame oil and peanut oil. Add the bias-cut green onions and stirfry for a minute or two to flavor the oils. Drain the chicken very well and add it to wok or skillet and stir fry until the chicken is cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. At the end, add remaining marinade and stir to combine. Serve with chopped green onions and cilantro on top, sesame seeds if you wish and additional chile garlic sauce to taste.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

8 Baby bok choy, sliced in half with core still attached (this helps the halves stay together on the grill)

2 tbsp black bean garlic sauce (you'll find it in any grocery store in the Asian aisle)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

Juice of 1 lime

Heat grill or stove top grill pan to medium high heat. Brush bok choy halves lightly on both sides with sauce. Spray the grill with canola or other non-olive oil. Grill until light char marks appear, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. They should retain some bite in the stalks and not be completely limp although the leaves will be a bit charred.  Yum.