Chinese Cabbage & Chicken Stir Fry

I am rather fascinated with the Chinese cabbage, also known as Napa cabbage or Wombok and that's because I've been involved in growing them at the North Fremantle Social Farm.  From planting to harvesting, we have encountered more than a few challenges, which makes me appreciate the efforts of farmers cultivating their crops for a living.  It is rewarding when I finally got to pull one out from the bed, split it open to reveal the beauty within and use some of it for a delicious stir fry dish with chicken and mushrooms.  I use dried Shiitake mushrooms which need to be rehydrated first, with the soaking water reserved to help cook and flavour the vegetables.  A cornflour slurry thickens the sauce for a velvety finish.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 450g / 1 lb Chinese cabbage
• 4 dried Shiitake mushrooms
• 2 spring onions, sliced into 1cm / ½" sections
• 280g / 10oz skinless chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 slices of thumb-size fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon water in a small dish

For marinating the chicken:

• 1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxin wine
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar

METHOD

1. Soak Shiitake mushrooms in ½ cup of warm water for about 30 minutes until soft.  Gently squeeze out water.  Cut stems off and discard.  Thinly slice the mushrooms and set aside.  Reserve soaking water.
2. Slice chicken breast with your knife slanting at a 45-degree angle against the grain into thin bite size pieces.  Mix chicken with marinating ingredients in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Slice cabbage into 5cm / 2" sections.  Separate white stems from the pale coloured leaves (as they require different cooking time).
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok on high until very hot.  With your spatula, spread the oil around the bottom of the wok.  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.
5. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté garlic and ginger over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds.  Add cabbage stems and mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute. 
6. Add the cabbage leaves and reserved mushroom water (about ½ cup).  Give everything a toss to mix.  Reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid.  Cook until the cabbage is softened, about 3 minutes.
7. Uncover and turn the heat up to medium high.  Transfer chicken back to the wok.  Add oyster sauce and spring onions.  Toss to combine and cook until the liquid at the bottom of the wok is bubbling.
8. Stir the cornflour mixture into a slurry with your finger or a small spoon.  Tilt the wok slightly to one side and add the slurry to thicken the liquid into a sauce.  Mix well until the chicken and the vegetables are coated with the sauce.  Remove from the wok and serve hot with rice.