Chicken Stir-Fry with Ginger and Mushrooms (Gai Pad King)

March 26, 2021

Chicken Stir-Fry with Ginger and Mushrooms (Gai Pad King) © kvalifood.com

A Chinese-style Thai stir-fry with milder flavours than most Thai dishes, making it a good introduction for people not used to the cuisine. Ginger isn’t actually used much in Thai cooking - it came in through Chinese influence. The black fungus adds a fun crunch. Serves 3-4, about 10 minutes of active cooking plus at least 20 minutes to marinate.

Ingredients

Serves 3-4

450 g chicken thighs (or breasts), boneless, skinless, cut into 1 ½ cm thick slices
2 Tbsp soy sauce
15 g dried black fungus (see notes)
60-125 ml unsalted chicken stock (or water)
1 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp fermented soybean paste (tao jiew) (or 1/2 Tbsp miso paste)
1 tsp black soy sauce
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
1 1/2 tsp sugar, granulated
1/4 tsp white pepper, ground
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
7 ½ cm section ginger, peeled and finely julienned
1/4 medium onion, julienned
1 spur chili (or 1/2 small red bell pepper), julienned
2-3 green onions, cut into 5 cm pieces, white part halved horizontally
For serving: jasmine rice

Directions

Marinate the chicken in 1 Tbsp of the soy sauce for at least 20 minutes.

Soak the black fungus in hot water for 8-10 minutes - it will expand to 3-4 times its size. Drain, cut into bite-sized pieces, and discard any hard cores.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp of the chicken stock, oyster sauce, fermented soybean paste, black soy sauce, sesame oil (if using), sugar, and white pepper. Stir well.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or saute pan over high heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly until it starts to brown. Add the marinated chicken and toss just until the pieces separate, about 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and add the ginger. Keep stirring until the chicken is about 80% cooked.

Add the black fungus, onion, and spur chili. Continue stirring until the chicken is done, adjusting the sauce amount with some or all of the remaining stock as needed. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with jasmine rice.

Notes

Soak the mushrooms and marinate the chicken in advance to save time.
Black fungus (cloud ear fungus) usually comes dried and needs rehydrating. You can substitute 4 oz of fresh mushrooms of another type.
The amount of stock you need depends on your stove. A high-BTU burner evaporates liquid faster, so you’ll need more. A crowded pan traps steam and needs less. Watch the sauce level and adjust as you go.
If you add extra stock for more sauce, increase the seasoning to compensate for dilution.