#TBT - Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Marinade and Peanut Sauce:

1 medium onion, minced

½ cup peanut or other neutral oil (I use canola)

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup thin terikayi sauce (I use Mr. Yoshida’s Gourmet Marinade 
and Sauce)

½ cup dark rum (I used what I had, 151 proof – zowee!)

½  cup honey

2 tablespoons peeled and grated ginger root

6 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 – 13 oz. jar creamy whipped peanut butter (you will not use
 all of it)

2 tablespoons half and half

Main ingredients:

2 pounds chicken breast meat, cut into bite sized pieces

1 medium or 2 small red bell peppers, large dice

1 medium onion, large dice

2 cups (approximately) stir fry vegetables (I used a 12 oz. bag of
 Eat Smart brand)

¼ cup thin teriyaki sauce (this is in addition to the ½ cup used in the marinade)

Wok on:

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger root

3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

To serve:

½ pound angel hair pasta

2-3 green onions, white and some green parts, thinly sliced

Olive oil

For the Fancy Schmancy:

Chopped peanuts

Additional green onion, thinly sliced

Combine all of the marinade ingredients except for the peanut butter.
 Pour over and marinate the chicken for several hours in refrigerator.  
Stir occasionally while marinating.

When ready to prepare the dish, set out all the ingredients next to 
the wok. Mise en place is always important, but never more so than 
when making a stir fry dish!

Drain marinade from chicken.  Measure it, then put into a small
 saucepan and heat over medium until boiling. Watch it very carefully, 
as the alcohol will cause it to boil over. Measure out half as much 
peanut butter as marinade, then remove pan from heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until sauce is smooth.  Taste and adjust with 
more peanut butter if you like.  Stir in the half and half.  Let sit on 
stove at very low or warming heat.

Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.  Do not run 
cold water over the hot pasta.  As soon as hot water is drained off,
 add a drizzle of olive oil and sliced green onions and toss to coat
 and combine.  Return to pot and hold over low or warming heat on stovetop.

In hot oil in wok, stir fry garlic and ginger till fragrant, but do not let 
brown. Immediately add the chicken to wok and stir fry till done, then remove and hold on side.

Add more oil if needed to wok. Stir fry onion and red bell pepper.  
Add remaining vegetables to wok.  While stir frying, add about 
¼ cup teriyaki sauce to vegetables to create steam.  When vegetables
 are tender, add back the chicken.  Lower the heat under the wok and 
add the warm peanut butter sauce, stirring with the chicken and vegetables.

To serve:  ladle peanut chicken and sauce over the pasta.  Sprinkle
 with chopped peanuts and green onion if desired.  Or skip the pasta 
and serve with rice, preferably the sticky Chinese type.

Incidentally, I used my trusty electric fry pan instead of my wok
 for this dish.  Worked great, and the chicken had the opportunity 
to pick up a nice brown color.  If you do use a wok, I recommend 
stir frying the chicken in two separate batches, so that the chicken
 browns instead of steams.