Hoisin Chicken and Yu-choy

It's been a while since my last post. I gave birth to my son on May 5 and it's been busy to say the least. I am fortunate that my mother lives with us, so we have enjoyed her cooking on those days (which have been many) when I just can't manage to juggle putting dinner on the table. The first order of business for any Chinese matriarch is to make a postpartum pot of chicken soup to help the new mom with breastfeeding. So I came home from the hospital to my mom's rich, simmering pot of chicken soup that had been flavored with fresh ginger and shiitake mushrooms. It's a soup that she's made countless times and that I've made for myself, too, but I never tire of it. It's always soothing and the leftovers make a utilitarian base for noodle soup or refrigerator soup or mian ger tang (flour dumpling soup).

One of the ways that we stretch ingredients is to break down a whole chicken, which is cheaper to buy. Typically, the breast is saved for stir-fries and the rest is cut into parts for chicken soup. For the dish above, it's fine to use thighs -- also less expensive than breast. I combined chunks of chicken with yu-choy, soy sauce and a dash of hoisin. Quick and easy.

HOISIN CHICKEN WITH YU-CHOY
SERVES 4

½ pound chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 bunch yu-choy, about ½ pound
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Dash of water, as needed

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken chunks with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.

Rinse the yu-choy. Trim about an inch off the bottom end of the stalks, which is tough to chew. Cut the yu-choy into 2-inch segments. The leaves will shrink significantly once cooked, so if they are a little larger, it’s ok.

Heat wok over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and let heat through for about 30 seconds. Gently add the chicken and quickly start stirring to separate the chunks and so that the pieces don’t stick. Stir-fry the chicken pieces until just cooked through, about 3 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken chunks. Add the yu-choy and stir to combine. Once the yu-choy has wilted, add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the hoisin. Stir to combine. If it looks a little dry, add a touch of water to thin out the sauce.

Serve with rice and other dishes as part of a meal.