Lucky me, I have cooked with Chef Yan Martin (Yan Can Cook) in the San Francisco Bay area. What fun he is. Yan conducts small classes and the time goes fast. This is typical of his spicy wok recipes. It is a great one for a casual company meal. It seems like many steps, but is quick and easy to prepare. Of course, Yan is the fastest chef with a knife that I have ever experienced. This is one of the recipes that Yan created for Viking River Cruises.
Three Alarm Chicken
With fresh jalapeño chili, dried red chilies and chili garlic sauce — this dish is hot and spicy! In China the dried chilies are typically eaten, but unless you like very hot food, you will probably want to remove them before serving.
Marinade:
Two teaspoons soy sauce
One teaspoon dark soy sauce
One teaspoon cornstarch
One pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sauce:
One-third cup ketchup
One-quarter cup chicken broth
One tablespoon chili garlic sauce
One teaspoon sugar
One tablespoon vegetable oil
One fresh jalapeño chili, cut into thin strips
Eight small dried red chilies
One red bell pepper, julienned
One-half medium onion, thinly sliced
| Directions: Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Rinse chicken and pat dry then cut crosswise into half-inch wide strips. Place in marinade, and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add fresh and dried chilies; cook, stirring, until dried chilies begin to brown, about 15 seconds. Add chicken, bell pepper and onion; stir-fry until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in center, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Stir to evenly coat chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings. Recipe by: Martin Yan |
Brenda C. Hill
International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
Books By Hills Success With Writing Where And What in the World
Sometimes I think we take classic recipes for granted as we search for the newest taste sensation. I know that I do. Earlier this week I was assisting at a cooking class that was featuring a few French classics, and as I was doing the prep work before the students arrived I wondered what the students would think about these standard dishes. We had a mix of young and older students, about 18 in all. I was in charge of making and demonstrating Vichyssoise with Zucchini, a super simple dish that blew away all the participants with its flavor. Two 20-somethings came up after class and told me that it was the best soup they had ever tasted and that’s when it hit me—sometimes I take the classics for granted but classics are classics for a reason. Here is a variation on the recipe we had in class. It can be served hot or cold. Et voilà:
