Sesame Ginger Chicken with Stir-Fried Greens

Ingredients

• 600 g chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp honey
• 300 g tenderstem broccoli
• 200 g pak choi, halved
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• Pickled cucumber, to serve
• Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

1. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, crushed garlic and honey together in a bowl. Tip in the sliced chicken thighs, season with a pinch of salt and a good crack of pepper, and toss until every piece is glossy and coated. Leave to sit for 10 minutes while the wok heats — the marinade is doing the seasoning work, but the salt-and-pepper hit at this stage means the meat itself tastes of something, not just the glaze.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok over a high heat until it shimmers and a piece of ginger dropped in sizzles on contact. Add the chicken in two batches, spread in a single layer — crowd the wok and the meat steams in its own juices instead of catching that deep, sticky caramelisation you're after. Stir-fry each batch for 5–6 minutes until the edges are deeply bronzed and the marinade has reduced to a tacky lacquer. Lift out onto a plate.
3. The garlic and ginger in the marinade will be on the edge of catching by now — keep things moving. If the wok looks dry, add a teaspoon of oil. Tip in the tenderstem broccoli and pak choi with a splash of water; it should hiss and steam immediately. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green with a little char on the florets and the pak choi stems are just tender but still have bite. Watch the garlic bits clinging to the pan — fragrant and pale gold is what you want; any darker and they turn bitter and take the dish with them.
4. Return the chicken and every drop of resting juice to the wok. Splash in any remaining marinade from the bowl and let it bubble against the hot pan for 30 seconds — that's your pan sauce, swirl it through so the greens pick up the glossy glaze rather than wearing it as a paste. Taste a piece of broccoli: most of the salt is coming from the soy, but a final pinch of salt now, off the heat, ties everything together. Taste again and adjust.
5. Plate over steamed jasmine rice, pile the sticky chicken and greens on top, scatter generously with toasted sesame seeds, and finish with torn coriander leaves if using. Serve straight away while the glaze is still glossy.