This is my mum’s classic Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-fry (Gai Pad King) that I loved to eat as a kid. It’s one of those authentic restaurant dishes that is really easy to recreate at home.
400g (14 oz) chicken thighs, thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 onion, sliced
5cm piece (about 40g/1.4 oz) young ginger*, finely sliced
150g (5 oz) fresh wood ear mushrooms*, sliced
2 spring onions (scallions), cut into batons
steamed rice to serve
Marinade:
1 tsp sweet dark soy sauce
½ tsp white pepper
Stir-fry sauce:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 ½ tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
Combine the marinade ingredients with the chicken.
Combine the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic, onion and ginger and stir-fry for half a minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry until almost cooked.
Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for another half a minute. Then add the stir-fry sauce you made earlier. Stir-fry until just combined and the chicken is cooked. Toss through the spring onions. Then remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.
Notes:
– Young ginger has very pale, thin skin and is milder than regular or old ginger (which has the light brown skin. If using regular ginger, use half this amount.
– If fresh wood ear mushrooms are not available, you can use dried wood ear mushrooms. Soak them in hot water for 20 minutes or until tender.
