BROWN RICE, CHICKEN & CHINESE BROCCOLI

This is a very simple dish, inspired by my husband saying that he wanted 'chicken, brown rice and broccoli' for dinner. I had bought some Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) from a farmers market on the weekend which I absolutely love with oyster sauce and soy sauce. Gai lan has thick green stems and dark green leaves, both of which can be eaten. You can certainly fry the chicken breast with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil and 1 finely chopped garlic clove, however I prefer poaching chicken as it uses no oil and does not dry out, hence this is the method I used in the recipe below. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts, even in size (around 450-500g in total)
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled & sliced 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 head of broccoli, florets and stalk chopped into even pieces
• 1 bunch of Gai lan (Chinese broccoli), ends of stalks removed (these are too tough to eat) and stalks and leaves separated 
• Optional - 1/4 cup green shallots, finely chopped, to serve 

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sushi vinegar or mirin
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

COOKING 

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, add the chicken breasts, garlic and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. After this time turn off the stove and leave the chicken to sit for 5 minutes, before removing the chicken and placing it on a chopping board to cool for 5 minutes before shredding it. 

2. Meanwhile, add the brown rice to another medium or small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to the boil, covered. Reduce to a simmer, still covered, and cook for 15-18 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. 

3. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl or cup/mug. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce and stir vigorously to remove any lumps. 

4. In a third saucepan (or if not available wait until the chicken or rice is finished to use that saucepan), fill with around 10cm of water and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the gai lan stalks and the broccoli, as these take longer to cook than the leaves. When the stems have become bright green, or have been cooking for 2 minutes, add the leaves to the water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the leaves are wilted. Remove from heat and drain the vegetables until cold water in a colander. Roughly chop the gai lan leaves. 

Combine the chicken, rice, sauce and vegetables in a large serving bowl, stirring well. Divide into 4 serving bowls and top with finely chopped green shallots, if desired. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / around 30 minutes 

x Emily