Stir-fried chicken breast with Cap Cay in XO sauce and broccoli

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g chicken breast, without skin and bones
• 1 tsp XO sauce, mild
• 1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 6 g papaya pulp, pureed, frozen
• 1 m.-large broccoli
• 30 g onion(s), red, small
• 10 g garlic clove(s)
• 15 g ginger
• 20 g carrot(s)
• 40 g radishes
• 40 g chicken stock, liquid
• 1 tsp XO sauce, mild
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato juice
• ½ tsp tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp rice wine, dark, spicy-mild
• 1 m.-large tomato(s), oblong
• 1 pepper, red, long, mild to medium hot
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, light

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

These three side dishes are a feast for the eyes and the palate. Recipe from Hunan, China.

Cut the chicken breast (thawed if frozen) across the grain into approximately 7 mm thick slices (use a bread and sausage slicer if possible). Halve the slices lengthwise and then third crosswise. Mix all ingredients, from XO sauce to papaya puree, in a bowl until smooth and marinate the meat at room temperature until ready to use. Strain and drain well just before use. Remove the broccoli florets from the stems and chop and wash them according to the size of the serving dish. Trim some of the bottom of the stalk, peel them, and cut lengthwise into approximately 3 mm thick slices. Cut these into 3 mm thick sticks. Blanch the sticks for 1 minute and the florets for 3 minutes, then arrange them in a ring on the serving dish (see photo). For the Cap Cay, peel the onions, garlic cloves, and ginger. Quarter larger onions lengthwise, halve smaller ones, and halve the garlic cloves lengthwise. Cut the ginger crosswise into thin slices. Halve larger ones crosswise. Roughly grate the washed and peeled carrot into pieces. Wash, trim, and quarter the radishes lengthwise. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl until smooth and even and set aside. To garnish, cut off the top of the washed tomato so it stands upright. While standing upright, make four cross-shaped cuts from top to bottom, leaving about 1.5 cm free at the bottom. Separate the petals from the core and bend them outwards slightly. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and place on the serving dish. Cut off the stem of the washed pepper, cut open on one side, and remove the pink membranes and all the seeds. Cut crosswise from the top into thin strands. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a wok until very hot. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 90 seconds. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining sunflower oil and sesame oil and heat until hot. Add the onions, garlic cloves, ginger, carrot, and radish and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Deglaze with the sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Spread the prepared Cap Cay around the tomato and add the chicken pieces. Garnish with the hot pepper threads, serve as a side dish, and enjoy. Serve with yellow rice. Note: I recommend buying the XO sauce online. It is available in mild and spicy versions. But beware: There are a whole host of fake products that are adulterated soy sauces and nothing more! There are recipes for making your own, but sourcing the ingredients is a problem in itself. The XO sauce becomes piecemeal, and the desired umami flavor remains a pipe dream. The original XO sauce is expensive, but you only need a teaspoonful of it.