Easy Chicken & Celery Stir Fry 🇨🇳

There is a fruit and vegetable shop in Perth called Golden Choice that I visit regularly for their wide range of Asian greens and Vietnamese herbs.  Among the water spinach, 'tong hao', betel leaves and sawtooth coriander, I find Chinese celery with their tender thin stalks and slightly peppery flavour, which is perfect for this stir fry dish with chicken.  If you can't get hold of Chinese celery, use the inner less fibrous parts of ordinary celery, as pictured above.  Chicken thigh meat sliced into thin strips are marinated and then fried quickly in the hot wok or frying pan.  Celery stalks julienned to match the size of the chicken strips are tossed in until just wilted to retain their colour and crunch.  A simple dish with a quintessential balance in taste and texture.  Dinner for two couldn't be easier with some white or brown rice on the side.  

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 260g / 9 oz skinless chicken thigh meat, sliced into thin strips
• 150g / 5½ oz Chinese celery or celery stalks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red cayenne chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
• vegetable or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Chinese Shaoxin wine
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

METHOD

1. If using Chinese celery, cut end of stalks, then slice into 5cm / 2" sections with the leaves intact.  If using celery stalks, slice into thin 5cm / 2" matchsticks.
2. In a bowl, marinate chicken with chopped garlic, chopped chilli if using, wine, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, cornflour and  sesame seed oil for at least half and hour.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or a large frying pan over high heat until very hot.  Add all the chicken.  Spread them out in a thin layer and let them fry, undisturbed, for about a minute until caramelised on one side, then toss them around to cook through.  Remove to a plate.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the same pan.  Add the celery and sauté for no more than 1 minute until slightly wilted.  Transfer the chicken back to the pan and stir fry for another minute with the celery.  Remove from heat and serve.