Teriyaki chicken with noodles

Teriyaki

Teriyaki is a sweet soy sauce marinade used for centuries in Japan. It is more commonly cooked with fish in Japan, whereas in the west we tend to use it with meats. The word teriyaki is derived from the Japanese word teri which refers to the luster of the sugar in the sauce and yaki which is a method of grilling in Japan. Typically the sauce is brushed on grilled or broiled fish both prior to and during cooking. In my recipe, we will use the sauce as a coating over the entire dish.

Ingredients (serves 5):

• 16 ounces – oriental noodles (e.g., udon or soba), break in half
• 1 tablespoon – sesame seed oil
• 4 tablespoons – extra virgin olive oil
• 4 – chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless, cut crosswise in 1/3-inch strips
• 12 – green onions, cut diagonally into 1-inch sections
• 2 – peeled carrots, cut very thinly diagonally
• 2 – celery stalks cut diagonally into 1/3-inch strips
• ½ teaspoon – crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon – light brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons – teriyaki sauce (not teriyaki glaze - I have linked my recipe)

Preparation:

Cook the noodles in a large Dutch oven with boiling salted water as directed on the noodle box. Drain, and place back into the pot, add the sesame seed oil, and toss to coat.

Add the olive oil to a large heavy skillet and heat over high. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and add to the skillet. Sauté until the chicken loses any pink uncooked areas, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Chicken strips sautéing.

Add the green onions, carrots, celery, and red pepper and stir fry over high heat until there is no water in the pan from the vegetables, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the carrots, green onion, celery, and crushed red pepper flakes

Vegetables sautéing with chicken

Add the vegetables and chicken to the noodles along with the sugar and teriyaki sauce and stir together.

Teriyaki chicken with noodles

Serve immediately. Bon appétit.

J. Botticelli