Chicken Stir-fry With Celery and Peanuts

Serves 4.

Recipe from Andrew Zimmern, in "Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen," by Dana Cowin.

• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. pieces

• 1 tbsp. Asian chile sauce (sambal oelek)

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

• 1 tbsp. rice wine or sake (or rice vinegar)

• 1/4 c. soy sauce, divided

• 1/4 c. vegetable or peanut oil, divided

• 1 (2-in.) piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts kept separate

• 2 small celery ribs, thinly sliced, plus 1/2 c. roughly chopped celery leaves

• 2 large shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 2 tsp. sugar

• 1/4 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

• 1/2 lb. snow peas, ends trimmed

• 1/4 c. drained and sliced water chestnuts

• Kosher salt

• 1 hot red chile, thinly sliced, optional

Directions

Put chicken in a large bowl. Add the chile sauce, cornstarch, rice wine and 2 tablespoons soy sauce; toss to coat. Set aside.

Set a large heavy skillet over very high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil ripples, add the ginger, garlic and the green part of onions. Cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the celery, celery leaves, shallots, sugar and peanuts and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and let it get quite hot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sit for a moment before stirring, then cook, stirring, until well browned and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the snow peas and water chestnuts and cook, stirring, until the snow peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the reserved ginger and celery mixture, along with the final 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a couple tablespoons of water, and scrape up the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then stir everything together and season to taste with salt.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and scatter the whites of the onions and the chile slices on top. Serve immediately.

Chef variation: To "velvet" the chicken, soak it overnight in a mixture of cornstarch, rice wine and chiles, and then stir-fry it.