Stir-Fry, Despite the Possessed Stove

We had a great weekend – Saturday we drove into Reading to see the PostSecret display at the museum and took a side trip for the pagoda, which affords a view over the city. Sunday, of course, was Snakes on a Plane. Surprisingly well-developed plot and entertaining.

Meals, however, were of another matter.

Rob’s stove has taken an immediate dislike to me, apparently – we had trouble with it a previous time we attempted to make dinner, and maintenance came and fiddled with it and it had been fine. Until we tried to make dinner Friday night. Rob and I were all set – I came bearing a microplaner and zester, and he had fresh ingredients. We happily chopped and grated and marinated. The stove was having none of it though, and not a thing – not even the oven, with which we managed before – would produce heat. After another call to maintenance, we stowed our stir-fry efforts in the fridge and ended up at Liki for gorgeous sushi (sadly no pictures this time, though a new one – the Angel Maki, a warm crab-topped scallop roll and possibly beating out my previous favorite Lemonade, is indeed a work of art).

Saturday night, in between dashes in and out, we tested the range quickly and it heated up. Excellent. After coming home, we put some broth on to boil for rice and waited. And waited. The burner kept steady for a while, and then would turn itself on and off without rhyme or reason. Dinner took nearly two and a half hours and most of our patience to make. After some experimenting, it seems you need to turn the oven up to 400 F and let it heat with the door open, then you can close it and turn on the stove, at which point the oven heat can be reduced. If the burner stops working, you turn the oven up and you hit the back of the stove. I cannot explain the utter aggravation – if it were my kitchen, I’d probably cry. Val, the landlady next door, has advised him to just break it entirely so he can get a new range, and I’m thinking that’s a great idea.
For all the stove's efforts, we managed quite a good stir-fry. The chicken was silkily tender after its 24-hour marinade, though according to the original recipe it can be tossed together about five minutes before you put it in the pan. With a normal stove, the cooking time shouldn't be much more than about fifteen minutes or so, more if you're making a side of rice also.

CHICKEN AND SNAP PEAS WITH ORANGE SAUCE
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library: Stir-Fry

sauce
1/2 c orange juice
zest of one orange
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp peeled grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
marinade
1 egg white
1 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz fresh or frozen sugar snap peas
1 c canned sliced water chestnuts, drained

To make the sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
To make the marinade: combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
In a frying pan over high heat, warm 1 Tbsp of the oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the peas (careful if they're frozen) and stir and toss until just tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the water chestnuts and stir and toss for 1 minute longer. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Add the chicken pieces and stir and toss until firm and no trace of pink remains, about 4-5 minutes. Stir the reserved orange suace and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer and stir and toss until the sauce thickens slightly, 1-2 minutes. Return the snap peas and water chestnuts to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook for 1 minute longer.