by Bonnie S. Benwick (c) 2018, The Washington Post
8 ounces frozen green beans
3 or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce or more as needed
1/2 cup water
Hot sauce (optional)
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Steps
Place the green beans in paper towel so they defrost a bit.
Pull the skin from the chicken; freeze or discard it. Use a sharp knife to cut the flesh away from the bone; freeze the bones for making stock at another time. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
Coarsely chop the onion. Smash, peel and mince the garlic. Use a spoon to scrape away the skin of the ginger root, then grate or mince the ginger to yield at least 2 teaspoons (the more, the better!).
Cut the green beans into 1-inch lengths.
Heat the oil in a wok or deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil shimmers, swirl it around to coat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger; stir-fry for about 40 seconds, just until fragrant, and then add the chicken pieces. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until they have taken on some colour and are almost cooked through.
Add the green beans and soy sauce; stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the water. Cover and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then uncover, drop in the basil leaves and season lightly with salt and pepper.
At this point, the flavour will be mild. Taste, and add more soy sauce, as needed. Serve your guests who like it that way, and then season what is left in the pan with a spicy component before dishing out the rest.
Nutrition (based on 3 servings) | Calories: 290; Total Fat: 16 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 140 mg; Sodium: 270 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 7 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 31 g.
