Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Mushroom

There are countless stir fry recipes on the internet, the last thing it needs is another.  Having said that, I think the ratio of ingredients and method of prep I have below is a pretty damn good combination.  Like many of the recipes on here, I am really posting it more as documentation for later reference.  I fully admit this is completely non-revolutionary as far as recipes go, but if you are looking for a tasty stir fry to try, give this one a shot.  I think when I revisit this I will add in a red bell pepper with the onion and maybe some basil leaves at the end.

Note, the fish and soy sauce here provides a big salty flavor so little to no additional salt is needed.  Taste and add only if needed at the end!

Chicken Stir Fry with Eggplant and Mushroom

• 1 eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 pound chicken cut into 1″ pieces
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil, divided (grapeseed or something similar)
• 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
• 2-3 thai red chiles, cut into thin slices, or 2 teaspoons dried red-pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, chunked (any kind)
• 2-3 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

Salt the eggplant cubes generously and let them sweat in a colander for about 20 minutes while you get the other ingredients together.  After the 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry the eggplant.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, corn starch, and sugar.  Add the chicken to the marinade and set aside.  While the chicken marinates, heat oil over moderately high heat,  add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.  With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the hot pan.  Cook until chicken is just done.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan over high heat.  Add the eggplant and mushrooms, stirring and cooking until the mushroom liquid is cooked out and the eggplant is tender.  Throw the chicken back in along with the remaining marinade.  Stir and cook gently for just a few minutes so the sauce thickens.  Top with sliced scallions and sesame seeds before serving.