Mark Bittman's Stir-Fried Chicken with Ketchup

Tonight I made what has become a favorite once-in-a-while treat at my place: stir-fried chicken with the lovely ketchup, the condiment that my trashy self still can't get enough of despite the evolution of my palate into its current "adult" state. The recipe is simple and so easy to make. The only prep involves slicing the garlic and cutting the chicken into bite-sized chunks. The recipe calls for dark meat, but I have always used breast meat in an attempt to make it more healthy, and I have never found it lacking despite the use of "drier" white meat. In fact, I love this dish, and it's an example of why Mark Bittman is so great. His recipes can be haute or low, but they're always accessible and explained in an unpretentious fashion. This particular recipe is even listed as one of his favorites. According to Bittman, this dish comes from Chinese immigrants living in India, except that there the sauce is made with cauliflower. Pairing it with fried chicken is Bittman's own take on the recipe.

Since I avoid products containing high fructose corn syrup, I used organic ketchup. My favorite is Trader Joe's:

The result is tangy, spicy saucy lightly-fried chicken chunks!  They are great as part of a meal or stuck with toothpicks for a party platter.

Mark Bittman's Stir-Fried Chicken with Ketchup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken in 1/2 to 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup of flour, or more as needed

4 tablespoons of neutral oil, such as canola

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of slivered garlic

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (this can be adjusted according to your preferred level of spiciness; I suggest making it as is the first time around, then tweaking the cayenne next time if you weren't satisfied)

1 cup of ketchup

Preparation:

1.  Toss chicken in flour until the chunks are lightly coated. Put two tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (nonstick) and turn heat to high. When oil smokes, add the chicken as one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.  When the chicken browns on one side, toss it and cook until the meat is just about done: smaller pieces will take 5 minutes, larger about 10 (depending on how large you cut your chunks). After chicken is cooked through, remove it to a plate. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool for a moment.

3.  Add remaining two tablespoons of oil to the pan and turn heat to medium high. Add garlic and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes (make sure that garlic doesn't burn!) Add the ketchup and stir; cook until ketchup bubbles, then darkens slightly. Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat with sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve!