So, here we are. The kohlrabi I recently—and naively—wrote an ode to has defeated me. A week later, and it’s still here. It’s been put to good use: eagerly snacked on; easily absorbed by beetroot and carrot coleslaw; and offered the leading role in a salad; yet, still it remains. Large. And ever present in the kitchen.
Cabbage calls for use
And that’s not all. No. There’s a cabbage. A beautiful leafy, savoy cabbage that laments its neglect. (As I write this I’m naturally wondering why the vegetables have taken on such vivid characters; let’s call it a one-off, for now.)
There’s little worse for a stalwart veg-box fan than feeling defeated by the weekly contents before Winter has even begun. I’m overdramatising, I’m sure. There’s nothing a stir-fry can’t fix, instantly.
Vegetables: easily transformed
Fortuitously, there was some chicken in the fridge, so I turned to a reliable staple: honey and ginger chicken. The secret to this sticky, caramelised chicken is the marinade: honey, diced fresh root ginger, soya sauce, sesame oil, a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and some pepper.
Marinade a while
For me, the sticky, carmelised ginger chicken pieces are the perfect antidote to the ostensibly holier-than-thou cabbage and broccoli—cleansing and nutritious as they are, the less than healthy chicken swiftly dilutes any smugness I might feel about the cabbage consumption. And, once marinaded (for 30 minutes or so) the whole thing easily comes together.
Pan fry and add seeds
On a medium heat, cook the drained chicken pieces for about 3 minutes, until they are opaque. Add sesame seeds and the marinade sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure an even coating, for a further 5 minutes. At this point chicken will begin to caramelise in places.
Waiting to caramelise
After adding the sesame seeds, this is the point at which I tend to furiously heat the wok, add groundnut, or sesame, oil and start frying onions and ginger; next I ready myself to chuck in broccoli, cabbage, peppers and whatever else is lying around. If I have fresh chillies, I add some of those. I like to retain the crunch and bite of the vegetables, so I never stir fry the vegetables for more than a few minutes.
Sticky and sweet: ginger chicken
When the chicken has browned, it’s a juggling act of pans, and plates and sauces and serving, and a minute later it’s done. Supper is sorted.
Just add vegetables
We didn’t have any coriander or spring onions, but both are the ideal garnish. I wolfed my down, and the boy had leftovers for lunch.