Chicken and Pistachio Fried Rice

Maria, my work buddy, greeted me one Wednesday morning with particular excitement: She had seen a recipe for Chicken and Pistachio Fried Rice in the Washington Post that morning and thought I would be very interested. She was right. :) The recipe is copied below and it tastes as good as it sounds! The only gripe I have is that this dish is definitely not "Dinner in 25 Minutes." The preparation - particularly, shelling the pistachios - took quite a while! (Note to self: buy pistachio kernels next time! And maybe even precooked chicken!) But other than that, I really liked this flavorful dish, especially the use of Chinese mustard which gives the rice a nice kick! I brought some for Maria the next day and she was impressed as well. She even claimed that she had fallen in love with Chinese mustard! Who knew Chinese mustard could be so powerful?

CHICKEN AND PISTACHIO FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

• 2-inch piece peeled ginger root
• 1 small clove garlic
• 2 to 3 scallions
• 2 to 3 ounces Chinese mustard greens (may substitute arugula)
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound cooked (skinless) chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cups cooked white rice, preferably cold (may substitute brown rice, cooked and cooled)
• 1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted pistachios, plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped, for garnish
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Chinese mustard (or adjust to taste - I like to use a little more than 1 tbsp)
  
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) mung bean sprouts (for garnish)
  

Directions:

1. Mince the ginger to yield 1 tablespoon and the garlic to yield 1/2 teaspoon. Trim the root ends from the scallions; coarsely chop the white and light-green parts of the scallions (at least 1/4 cup). Wash, dry and cut enough of the mustard greens to yield 2 packed cups.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until the oil begins to smoke. While it is heating, shred the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. Add the chicken to the wok or skillet and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until it is heated through and has picked up a little color. Transfer to a plate. (Clara's note: Be careful as the oil is *really* hot at this point, and will splatter when you place the chicken into the wok or skillet. Hot oil splattering onto your hands and arms = very painful!)
   
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok or skillet along with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil; when the oil is quite hot, add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry for 10 seconds or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the rice, pistachios, peas and scallions; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5. Return the chicken to the wok or skillet along with the oyster sauce to taste, water, Chinese mustard and soy sauce; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is well combined and the rice has picked up a nice brown color. Add 1 cup of the mustard greens; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until they have wilted but are still a strong green color. Remove from the heat.
6. Place the remaining cup of mustard greens in a medium bowl. Add the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil and toss to coat evenly, then divide the dressed greens among individual plates.
7. Add the fried rice on top of the mustard greens or alongside; garnish with the chopped pistachios and bean sprouts. Serve hot.

Yield: 4-6 servings

I skipped the bean sprout garnish, 'cause I'm not a fan of raw bean sprouts and I was too hungry to care anyway.

Links:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2009/03/04/chicken-and-pistachio-fried-rice/