Hawaiian Stir-Fry —rsquo; When the Wok Is the Best Way Back

The Vietnam trip planning has taken over a corner of my brain. I spent Tuesday evening at the kitchen table with my laptop, researching Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, District 3 — the area where Mai grew up before the fall. The neighborhood has changed completely, of course. Forty-seven years will do that. But the street names are mostly the same, and I found satellite images that show the general layout. I'm trying to find the exact block where her family's house was. Mai has mentioned the name of the street exactly once, in 2003, when she was sick with the flu and slightly delirious. I wrote it down. I have carried that piece of paper in my wallet ever since.

Mrs. Phung called Thursday with flight options. Eva Air through Taipei, or ANA through Tokyo. She recommended ANA — better service, longer layover in Tokyo which gives Mai a chance to rest. I booked ANA. Departure March 5, 2023. Return March 15. Ten days. Mrs. Phung said ten days was perfect. "Enough to see everything. Not so much that it becomes overwhelming." She knows what she's doing. She's been doing this for forty years.

Work was routine. A consultation for a new ramen restaurant in the Heights — the chef was Japanese-American and incredibly precise about his equipment specifications, which I respected. An equipment repair call for a Tex-Mex place on Westheimer. A follow-up proposal for a hotel kitchen renovation. The rhythm of my work week has a comfort to it that I've come to appreciate. I am not the kind of man who does well without structure.

Kevin is at sixty days sober. He talked at the Tuesday meeting about the restaurant kitchen where he works — how they drink after every service, how the line cooks pass around a bottle of Fernet like communion wine, how he has to walk past the bar to get to the exit. "It's like running through a gauntlet every night," he said. I told him after the meeting that he might need to change environments. He said he loves cooking. I said, "Then cook somewhere else." He looked at me like I'd said something radical. It isn't radical. It's obvious. But obvious is invisible when you're inside it.

Made cá chiên — pan-fried whole fish, Vietnamese style. I got a whole red snapper from the Vietnamese market, scored the sides, rubbed it with turmeric and fish sauce, and fried it in a wok until the skin was shattering crispy and the flesh was perfectly moist inside. Served it on a platter with fresh herbs, rice paper, vermicelli, and nuoc cham. You tear off pieces of fish, wrap them in rice paper with the herbs and noodles, and dip. It's communal. It's interactive. It's the kind of meal that forces everyone at the table to slow down and use their hands, which is exactly what a meal should do.

I had the wok out already from the cá chiên, and there’s something about a week spent staring at satellite maps of District 3 and watching Kevin fight his way through another Tuesday that makes you want to cook something fast and loud — something that sizzles when it hits the pan and smells like it means it. The Hawaiian stir-fry isn’t Vietnamese, but the logic is the same: high heat, fresh ingredients, everything cut right and moving together. Mrs. Phung would approve of the pineapple. Mai would say it needs fish sauce. She’s probably right.

Hawaiian Stir-Fry

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

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 1/2 a medium pineapple)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (reserved from fresh pineapple or canned)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (vegetable or avocado)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• Cooked white rice, for serving
• Sliced scallions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar dissolves and no lumps remain. Set aside.
2. Prep and dry the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Sear the chicken. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes until golden on one side, then stir and cook another 2 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
4. Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the onion and bell peppers and stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping them moving so they char slightly at the edges but stay crisp. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add pineapple. Add the pineapple chunks and toss with the vegetables for 1 minute. You want a little caramelization on the fruit — let it sit for 30 seconds without stirring if it needs it.
6. Combine and sauce. Return the chicken to the wok. Give the sauce a quick re-whisk and pour it over everything. Toss constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats every piece. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil.
7. Serve. Spoon over steamed white rice and finish with sliced scallions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 720mg