Snap peas and water chestnuts

A little out of the ordinary for a stirfry.  You could skip the sugar altogether if you wanted, and maybe use a tsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit.  The gin is totally optional here, but it does lend a crisp note that plays against the richness of the soy and sesame flavors.

One of the things I like to keep in my freezer is pre-grated ginger.  When you buy some for a recipe, usually you only need a tablespoon or two and not a whole hand's worth.  If you go ahead and grate up the whole hand (a food processor is great here) and put the grated ginger in a zip-top bag in the freezer, you can pull out a small chunk as needed. 

Stirfry Snap Peas with Water Chestnuts
Makes 4 servings

1 lb. snap peas
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp gin (optional)

To prep-ahead: combine the garlic and ginger in a small container.  Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, pepper and gin in another container. 



Prep-ahead set-up

 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ginger and garlic and stirfry briefly.  Add snap peas and water chestnuts and stirfry 3-5 minutes.  Add the soy sauce-gin mixture and cook 2 minutes. Pin It