Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Thanksgiving 2019. The first Thanksgiving as a cohabiting couple, hosted at our Fremont apartment. The biggest table yet: Karen, David, James, me, Kevin, Lisa. Helen and Michael Chen on FaceTime from San Jose. Eight people (six in person, two digital), three cultures, one table assembled from the IKEA dining table and two folding tables.

The menu: Karen's turkey (she brought it — the tradition is non-negotiable), my japchae, tteokguk, and galbi jjim, James's three-cup chicken and scallion pancakes. The table was the most multicultural Thanksgiving I have ever experienced: American turkey, Korean side dishes, Taiwanese chicken, all on the same cloth, all eaten with the same gratitude, the giving of thanks expressed in three cuisines because this family has three cuisines and the thanks is trilingual.

Kevin gave a toast: "Grateful for sobriety, for Lisa, for Bridge City, for this table, for Stephanie who put Korean food on an American holiday and made it stick." Made it stick. Four years of bringing japchae to Thanksgiving and the japchae has stuck. The tradition is permanent. The Korean food at the American holiday is load-bearing. Remove it and the meal collapses.

After dinner, Karen and James did the dishes. My adoptive mother and my boyfriend at the sink, washing dishes together, the domestic collaboration of two people who love the same woman and are finding their way to loving each other. Karen said something to James that I could not hear. James laughed. The laugh was the relationship forming, and the forming was the washing, and the washing was the love.

Saturday: the Thanksgiving leftovers continued. Karen's turkey in my fridge next to my kimchi. James's scallion pancakes beside my japchae. The refrigerator is the autobiography of this family: crowded, multicultural, and delicious.

Kevin’s toast has stayed with me — “made it stick” — because that’s exactly what this kind of cooking does. After years of bringing Japanese and Korean flavors to an American holiday and watching them become load-bearing tradition, I keep coming back to fast, honest Asian weeknight dishes that deserve a permanent seat at the table. This chicken and asparagus stir-fry is the weeknight answer to the spirit of that 2019 Thanksgiving: bright soy, a little heat, vegetables that stay crisp and proud — the kind of recipe James would have approved of standing at my sink, laughing with Karen.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced against the grain
1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, and red pepper flakes until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set aside.
Marinate the chicken. Place the sliced chicken in a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of the prepared sauce, and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.
Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, then stir-fry until just cooked through, about 2–3 minutes more. Transfer to a clean plate.
Cook the asparagus. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the same wok over high heat. Add the asparagus and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until bright green and just tender-crisp.
Add aromatics. Push the asparagus to the sides of the wok. Add the garlic and ginger to the center and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Combine and sauce. Return the chicken to the wok, pour the remaining sauce over everything, and toss to coat. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and asparagus evenly.
Serve. Remove from heat. Serve immediately over steamed white rice, garnished with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry — The Asian Flavors That Belong at Every Holiday Table