Szechwan Eggplant and Chicken Stir-Fry

Following on the heels of my red curry experience, I had leftover ingredients in my fridge to use up.  Chicken breasts and cubed eggplant - enough of each for a decent meal.  Other than potentially some Italian or Mediterranean dishes, the main culture that comes to mind is Chinese.  I found a recipe for Szechwan stir-fried eggplant, which I then modified to include the chicken as well.  The dish turned out fairly well, though the below recipe doubles the sauce components now that I know better, and I would marinate the chicken in something (sake and soy sauce, for example) beforehand.  If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, remove the chicken breast and go back to 5 Asian eggplants, which is what it originally called for.  Neat useless fact of the day: 20 pounds of eggplants contains as much nicotine as one cigarette!

Asian eggplant, not the same as regular.  Kinda looks like a cigarette... 

Random worthless facts of the day - eggplant contains your FDA recommended daily minimum intake of nicotine!  Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 329:437 August 5, 1993 #6

A word about preparing stir-fry: get everything ready before you start cooking.  These dishes cook quickly, and if you don't have everything prepped and within easy reach, that's when things get ruined.  Consider getting some small prep bowls so you can just grab them and toss them in; you may see small stainless bowls in some of my other posts, and naturally I'm setting a bad example here by not using them.  But they help a lot, and keep things organized and ready to add without any delays.

The aromatics, prepped and ready to go before the wok is heated up

The rest of the ingredients

Szechwan Eggplant and Chicken Stir-Fry

Adapted from Tyler Florence recipe

• 2 Asian eggplants, about 1 pound
• 1 chicken breast, sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil 
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal 
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 fresh red chile, sliced 
• 1 cup chicken broth 
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish 
• Thai holy basil and fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

 

Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.  If using regular eggplant, just cut into 1" cubes.  In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add half the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add the eggplant, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant to a side platter, add remaining oil, and cook the chicken in the same manner.

Stir-fry the eggplant until 'sticky'.  You'll know what it means, just keep moving it around so it doesn't burn

Next, stir-fry the chicken

After all the eggplant and chicken is out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant and chicken back in the pan, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, and cilantro and serve.

Quickly stir-fry the aromatics, then add the sauce ingredients

The final product, before serving over rice.  Kill the heat before you add the basil and cilantro, or it wilts