I became a huge fan of David Chang after watching his Netflix food show Ugly Delicious. He is the founder of the international restaurant group Momofuku (which means Lucky Peach). He is now selling online some of the products he developed for the restaurants, and I’ve been having fun experimenting with his Chili Crunch and flavored salts.
There are videos showing uses for these, and if you decide to try this recipe I suggest you google the title above and watch the short video of David making this dish. He “dares you to find something more delicious in 10 minutes” and states “I think this recipe will be my greatest legacy because it is sandbaggery at the highest level”. The seasoning is his Tingly Seasoned Salt which contains Sichuan peppercorns. I started with half the recommended amount as you can see David’s face sweating in the video and I’m sure his tolerance for heat is way stronger than mine. (Although I did end up adding it all in. Maybe it’s just hot in his kitchen.)
It doesn’t quite come in under 10 minutes if you count time spend prepping the vegetables, but it truly is quick and tasty. If you don’t have his special salt, it would still be good with another seasoned salt, or even kosher salt and red pepper flakes. I would never have thought of microwaving raw chicken thighs and tossing them into stir fried vegetables, but it works perfectly. I can see why this would be an ideal late night dinner for a chef after work; as its fresh, simple, healthy and very tasty.
I have just prepared this for the second time after returning from a wonderful trip to Montana with Brittany’s family. Any vacation with my grandsons includes Cheetos and other illegal treats ( a few extra gin and tonics?) so I came home craving vegetables and Asian flavors; and made this the first night back.
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbs. neutral oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch knob ginger, roughly chopped
3-4 cups chopped vegetables, such as Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, Broccoli, or Asparagus
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch green onions, green and whites roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Momofuku Tingly Seasoned Salt
Empty chicken thighs directly from the package into a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 8 minutes. If frozen, microwave 10-12 minutes and check for doneness. Chicken will be mostly cooked but slightly pink in the middle.
When chicken has about 3 minutes left in the microwave, begin vegetable saute. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chopped vegetables, mushrooms, onions, and 2 Tbs. of Momofuku Tingly Salt, tossing to combine while you chicken finishes in the microwave.
Remove chicken from the microwave and use kitchen shears to cut up the chicken right in the bowl. Add chicken and juices from the bowl to your skillet and continue tossing until chicken is completely cooked. Add another Tbs. (or to taste) of the tingly salt and 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil. Serve with rice or egg noodles. Serves 3 to 4.
Note: My chicken needed another couple of minutes in the microwave. I will add more vegetables next time as the ones I used cooked down quite a bit. A bag of frozen rice from Trader Joe cooks perfectly in the microwave in 3 minutes.
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