Gemma These six words have been my families take away order preference ever since I was a whipper snapper. If you haven’t tried Salt and Pepper chicken without the batter then you haven’t had the best of the dish. This recipe is my own take on that splendid mouthful of food I love to eat when my parents order Chinese food.
Speedy supper
There’s a couple of key things to note with this Salt and Pepper Chicken dish. This is stir-fry food, so it cooks quickly meaning you can bring it to the table in under 30 minutes (including prep). You must prep everything before the oil goes in the pan. This is so critical you need to be quick and speedy. You don’t want to be slicing chicken while your peppers turn to mush. Have everything chopped, sliced and sat in bowls ready for their big debut.
The chicken needs to be sliced super thin. This allows it to cook quickly and that means all the ingredients are perfectly stir-fried. Slice your chicken too thick and the peppers will start to go soft and the whole dish will just be less fresh and exciting.
Packed full of flavour
My salt and pepper chicken recipe is all about the garlic and chilli. I use nine cloves of garlic and three bird’s eye chillis in this dish. You can, of course, adapt this and tone it right down if you need to. Also, I don’t mess around with rice… it’s the last thing I want to try and get right after a long day and a need for speed. In this dish, I pop a pouch of microwave wholegrain rice on for 2 minutes just before I add the fish sauce and soy sauce.
Make it veggie
We were away in Cornwall last month and I cooked two versions of this recipe, one of them a veggie version of this Salt and Pepper Chicken. It’s the first time I have made it with without chicken and it worked so well. It made me think that you could take the basic recipe without the chicken and add it to a whole host of things… including chips for all the salt and pepper chips fans out there!
I can’t explain how tasty this salt and pepper chicken dish is! You will just have to try it for yourself. No doubt there will be variations and amends along the way and, we welcome them all. The heart and soul of this blog is about sharing recipes that families cook. We want to know what they cook, why and how they cook it and how the food fits into their lifestyle.
I share my food as a catalyst for developing a community approach but we want to hear about and cook the food you feed to your nearest and dearest. Family Feed is not just about families with children, its space for sharing recipes from far and wide. If you know someone who has a recipe worth sharing then invite them to get in touch and collaborate. Next week I bring you a very special recipe from my childhood as I collaborate with my Mum to bring you a pie with all the nostalgic feels! Have a great week, Gem 🙂
Salt and pepper chicken no batter
Equipment
- wok
Ingredients
- 2 white onions chopped
- 4 peppers chopped into roughly 2cm chunks. In the video I use Ocado Gold Piccerella Peppers as the 4th pepper. I just needed to use them so wouldn’t normally add them.
- 1 bunch spring onions chopped into about 2 inch lengths.
- 9 cloves of garlic 6 of the cloves chopped 3 of them crushed
- a thumb sized piece of ginger finely chopped
- 3 Birds Eye chilies finely sliced. If you prefer it less spicy use 2 or use less spicy chillies.
- 2 chicken breasts finely sliced so really thin.
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 5 tbsp soy sauce I use the Kikkoman less salt soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste – I estimate I use 2 tbsp but we like that fiery kick. Adjust to suit
- 1 small bunch coriander chopped
- 2 x 250g pouch microwave wholegrain rice You can use any rice – I use this for speed
Instructions
- Prep all your ingredients and get them in bowls ready to cook with.
- Add a good drizzle of oil to your pan and get it really hot.
- Add your onions and stir as they fry for 30 seconds.
- Add your garlic, chilli and ginger stir it in and allowed to fry for one minute while stirring regularly.
- Add the spring onions, stir them in and fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add salt and pepper.
- I add a generous amount of pepper and a touch of salt. The soy sauce has salt in so I try not to go over the top. I use a low-sodium soy sauce as well.
- Give the pan a good stir and fry for another minute.
- Add your peppers and stir fry them 2 minutes.
- You may need to add add a touch more oil – I did. But use your own judgement here.
- Add your chicken to the pan and stir in until it is combined.
- Fry for 3 minutes stirring every now and then. This is to cook the chicken. If you cut it thin it won’t take long to cook.
- Stick your microwave rice into the microwave for 2 minutes if you're using this cheat.
- Add the fish sauce.
- Add 5 to 6 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce to the pan.
- Stir this and mix well and leave it for 2 minutes.
- Chop a small handful of coriander into the pan and mix through.
- Add a bit more salt and pepper if needed and serve with the rice from the microwave.
Video
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