The last time I stepped foot in a grocery store was April 3. Normally, I'm there at least twice a week, popping in to pick up just the items I need for the next few days.
I miss it.
I miss seeing the familiar faces of the staff at my regular store.
I miss walking the aisles looking at new-to-me ingredients and products.
I miss the endless potential, knowing that what I need to make almost anything is all there under one roof.
Believe it or not, grocery shopping is something I really enjoy doing. (Although some days it is a chore.)
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to visit a grocery store or food market or two.
Even before I was much of a cook, I liked grocery shopping. I remember my first time shopping in a German grocery store in the early 1990s. Even then, reusable bags were the norm, so much so that plastic or paper bags were not available at all in most stores. And customers were expected to bag their items as quickly as the checker rang them up.
I can still feel the flush of embarrassment and frustration as I fumbled to shove my purchases into my small purse as the checker gave me the most disapproving look. I didn't need to speak a word of German to know I had made a cultural faux pas.
And speaking of cultural faux pas, what I've done to the following recipe probably falls into that category.
It is adapted from a Charles Phan recipe, which has been circulating around the web recently but was originally published in Food & Wine back in 1998.
I made two significant changes — I used lemongrass-infused soy sauce in place of the fish sauce and added a red bell pepper and some green beans.
I didn't have any fish sauce on hand. And my husband doesn't like it, so I probably wouldn't have used it even if I did. And one can never go wrong with more vegetables.
Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken With Bell Pepper and Green Beans
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon soy sauce (see note)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped, optional
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1- to 2-inch lengths, optional
1 or 2 fresh or dried hot chiles such as cayenne or bird's eye, halved
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Cooked rice, for serving
In a bowl, combine the chicken, about 1 teaspoon of oil and a good pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine; set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and 6 tablespoons water. Heat on medium until the sugar dissolves, and then turn the heat down to low.
Heat the remaining oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the bell pepper and green beans, if using, and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and chiles and cook, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add about half of the sauce along with the black pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If desired, add more sauce and simmer briefly before serving.
Serve over rice.
Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for more quick dinners.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
Note: Chang's version uses ¼ cup fish sauce and ¼ cup water.
Food on 05/13/2020