| Most Valuable Peanut Chili |
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are readily available in most markets. This chili requires a fair amount
of prep work – lots of chopping. Get all the prep work done in advance and you’re ready to go. We
used a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce just before serving, so if you want to make this ahead and
freeze it – work the recipe up to that point. When you thaw it, reheat the chili back to simmering and
add the cornstarch and toppings.
Level of Difficulty: medium
Serves 6.
Lineup:
1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
½ cup apricot jam
½ cup Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (rice cooking wine)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (use the toasted kind – dark color)
1 tablespoon hot chili paste (Chinese or Thai – we use Sambal Oelek)
4 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, divided
4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
4 ribs celery, sliced
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with ¼ cup water
½ cup green onions, minced
1 cup peanuts, chopped
Playbook:
Make sauce mixture - In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, ginger,
apricot jam, Hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, sesame oil and chili paste. Set aside.
In a wok or large stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over high heat until smoking hot. Add
chicken and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from wok, drain and set aside.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to wok. Add celery, carrots, onion and red bell pepper and stir
fry for 5 minutes.
Return chicken to pot and stir in bamboo shoots and reserved sauce mixture. Reduce heat, cover and
cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn starch mixture and stir well for 2 minutes. Before
serving, top with green onions and peanuts.
Special Teams:
Hawaiian bread with 5-Spice Honey Butter
of prep work – lots of chopping. Get all the prep work done in advance and you’re ready to go. We
used a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce just before serving, so if you want to make this ahead and
freeze it – work the recipe up to that point. When you thaw it, reheat the chili back to simmering and
add the cornstarch and toppings.
Level of Difficulty: medium
Serves 6.
Lineup:
1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
½ cup apricot jam
½ cup Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (rice cooking wine)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (use the toasted kind – dark color)
1 tablespoon hot chili paste (Chinese or Thai – we use Sambal Oelek)
4 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, divided
4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
4 ribs celery, sliced
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with ¼ cup water
½ cup green onions, minced
1 cup peanuts, chopped
Playbook:
Make sauce mixture - In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, ginger,
apricot jam, Hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, sesame oil and chili paste. Set aside.
In a wok or large stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over high heat until smoking hot. Add
chicken and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from wok, drain and set aside.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to wok. Add celery, carrots, onion and red bell pepper and stir
fry for 5 minutes.
Return chicken to pot and stir in bamboo shoots and reserved sauce mixture. Reduce heat, cover and
cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn starch mixture and stir well for 2 minutes. Before
serving, top with green onions and peanuts.
Special Teams:
Hawaiian bread with 5-Spice Honey Butter
