Chicken with lychee is a traditional Cantonese dish, often combined with pineapple to create a sweet-and-sour chicken. This recipe is a little less sweet, with the savory garlic and ginger. It is adapted from The Everything Stir-Fry Cookbook by Rhonda Parkinson (Adams Media 2007).
Makes 4 to 5 servings
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup reserved lychee juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 shallot
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, green and white parts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup canned lychees, drained (reserve liquid)
Cut the chicken into small cubes or thin strips, as you prefer. Place the chicken in a bowl and add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, Asian sesame oil, black pepper and 2 teaspoons corn starch. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes, refrigerated.
Combine the lychee juice and remaining tablespoon soy sauce in a bowl. Set aside. Dissolve remaining tablespoon cornstarch in the water. Set aside.
Heat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat until it is nearly smoking and add 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir fry for 10 seconds, then add chicken. Stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the wok and drain with a colander if necessary, or use paper towels.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the minced ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds then add the shallot and carrot. Stir-fry until shallots begin to soften, then add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for another minute, then add the drained lychees.
Push the vegetables up to the sides of the wok and pour the lychee-juice mixture in the middle. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring quickly to thicken. When the sauce thickens, add the chicken back to the pan. Stir fry for another 2 minutes to mix all ingredients. Finally, stir in the green onions and serve hot.
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