Ampera's random recipes

Started by Ampera, February 01, 2020, 06:54:56 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Ampera

February 01, 2020, 06:54:56 PM Last Edit: January 29, 2021, 06:33:22 PM by Ampera
I cook on occasion, and very seldom people ask me for recipes, so here are some of them. Here is the first one

Experimental Stir-fry No. 1

NOTE: This is an experimental recipe with no defined measurements or quantities. Gauge proportions to taste and  best guess. If you're looking for a fool-proof stir-fry recipe, I may not be the best person to ask. This is the first time I've ever attempted stir-fry. Keep in mind you can only fit so much in a wok, and your sauce will only have so much noodle capacity, so try to balance a healthy sauce to noodle ratio such that it's not a soup, but so you don't also have weak noodles.

If you want a more printable version, here is one: https://amperaa.net/cdn/recipes/ExperimentalStirFryNo1.pdf

Ingredients:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- White, or Baby Bella mushrooms
- Thai rice sticks (or any generic dry rice noodle).
- Bacon grease (or use your favourite lipid)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Thai fish sauce
- Brown sugar
- Beef bouillon
Optional: (I used them, but if you don't have/like it, don't stress)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- White pepper
Tool(s) needed
A wok, and a stove. Gas is nice.

Instructions:

1. Start by soaking your rice noodles in warm water. Mine requested it, you don't want to leave them in there too too long, such that they turn to mush, but they also should be nice and tender. Use your judgement as to when you should begin and end soaking.

2. Create a condensed beef stock from your bouillon, I did about 2 cubes to 1 & 1/3rd cup of water, but my cubes are small, yours may vary. In general you want it to be a thick broth, but not borderline gravy.

3. Chop your chicken and mushrooms into chunks. Size is up to you, I enjoy larger pieces, but you don't want too big to eat, or so small that they wither away.

4. Ensure you have the appropriate ingredients ready to add. You'll want your Worcestershire sauce and Thai fish sauce bottles ready for adding, as well as a teaspoon and small bowl of brown sugar. if you're adding the spices, have those at the ready too. YOU DO NOT NEED SALT.

5. Begin by placing your bacon grease in the bottom of a wok and turning on the heat. How much is up to you, but add all that you will need now, and keep in mind some of it will cook into your food. You want enough for flavour, but do not add too much, it'll make it unpleasant to eat later.

6. Once your grease has melted, add your chicken, and after a bit of time your mushrooms. Mushrooms can take a lot of heat, as the only way to fuck them up is to burn them, so don't do that. Add your spices in whichever order while frying everything.

7. Once your chicken is cooked and browned a bit, a long with your mushrooms, add your beef stock. Take care to lower the heat so your oil doesn't become Chernobyl #2 along with your house. Add your Worcestershire sauce and Thai fish sauce to taste. This isn't teaspoon quantities, so feel free to add however much you want, but take care, the Thai fish sauce is salty. Also add your brown sugar at this point.

8. Once everything has cooked up a bit, and things have mixed together, add your soaked rice noodles (obviously without the soaking water). Now comes the fun part.

9. Turn the heat to as high as it goes, and start stirring. You'll want to use a wooden spatula, or a plastic noodle fork, or your hands if you enjoy third degree burns. You want to boil off all the water, and fry the noodles a bit, but don't leave it be, otherwise you will burn things. It's done when the noodles are golden brown and your house is not on fire. If you're reading this in the charred remains of your back garden, you've gone too far.

10. Done. Depending on how much you made, you may be able to serve many, or serve few. If your wok is small, you might want to make some again. I'd give a picture, but I ate it before I could take one, so next attempt I will be sure to do so.