Garlic, ginger and scallions (green onions) are known as aromatics, and together form the flavor basis for most Chinese stir-fried dishes. I first encountered the term “aromatic" in the mid-1980s when my older brother Karl gifted me with a wok set and a copy of The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp (William Morrow and Company, 1982.) This book was an eye-opener for me, and in many ways I feel I really learned how to cook from working my way through those recipes!
Most stir-fried dishes contain at least two of these three ingredients. Garlic, of course, is also a staple in European cooking especially French and Italian food. Garlic is often the first ingredient tossed into the wok after the oil has been added. The meat or primary vegetable ingredients are added next so the garlic-infused oil flavors them. Ginger has a unique flavor, full of umami. It also adds a bit of spicy heat to a dish, but in a subtler way then chili pepper or Sichuan peppercorns will. Scallions are usually added at the end of cooking, as they don't really need to be cooked through. The combination of two or all three of these aromatics is what gives Chinese stir-fries their wonderful savoriness!
Once you start to cook with these three ingredients, you'll find that you always need to keep them on hand. Of course they can also be used to enhance many other kinds of food. Ginger can be steeped to make a very soothing tea that aids digestion and weight-loss. Garlic and ginger are also staples used in Indian dishes such as curries
The following is a recipe for a pretty typical stir-fry dish that utilizes the three aromatics beautifully!
Maya's Spicy Chicken with Bell Pepper
Marinade:
1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine (or a dry Sherry will do) 1 teaspoon wheat-free Tamari
1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
1 Chicken Breast (skin and bone removed – about ½ lb.)
Two tablespoons Coconut Oil (or other oil that can tolerate high heat)
2-3 cloves Garlic - minced
Walnut-size piece Ginger - minced
1 Serrano Pepper – medium-sized – chopped into rings
½ Red Bell Pepper – seeds and ribs removed – chopped into 1” ribbons
2 Scallions – chopped into rings
1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
Sauce:
1 tablespoon Red or Dark Miso
1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
1 teaspoon wheat-free Tamari
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
1 tablespoon Water
Instructions:
Cut chicken breast across the grain into thin strips. Mix with marinade and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients, or longer in the refrigerator (for several hours or overnight.)
Prep all of the other ingredients. Mix the sauce in a small bowl or cup. Retain a spoon in the sauce so you can give it a final stir before adding it to the wok.
Heat a well-seasoned wok, allowing it to get good and hot (I usually let it sit for a minute or so over high heat in till it starts to gives off a little smoke!) Add the Oil to the wok and using a wok spatula move oil around to coat the inside of the wok. Toss in the Garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the Chicken to the wok and stir. When chicken starts to look partly cooked (1 or 2 minutes), add the Ginger, followed by the Serrano Pepper. Next add the Red Bell Pepper. When chicken starts to look cooked through, add the scallions. Give the sauce a stir, and add it to the wok, and stir in till sauce thickens and coats the chicken and pepper. Drizzle a scant ½ teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Oil into the wok – stir – and remove to a waiting plate. Enjoy!
I will warn you that the inclusion of the Serrano pepper gives this dish some kick. If you would rather have a less pungent dish, you can use less, or leave it out altogether. You'll still have a very flavorful dish, thanks to our three amigos, garlic, ginger and scallions!