serves 3 to 4
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast cutlets
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons tamari, or light or low-sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar or 2 tablespoons black vinegar and 2 tablespoons rice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Toasted sesame seeds and/or a thinly-sliced scallion to finish
Pat your chicken dry on a plate and season it on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large frying pan on medium high. Add a couple tablespoons of oil and let it get warm.
Once hot, brown the chicken well on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total; it’s not going to fully cook through right now, and that’s fine.
Transfer it back to a plate to rest.
Add more oil to the pan, if needed. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, vinegar(s), and sugar and stir to scrape up anything stuck in the pan. Bring sauce ingredients to a simmer, 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the pan and cook in the sauce, turning once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. The sauce will reduce as the chicken cooks and get a bit syrupy.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter and pour the sauce remaining in the pan over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or scallion and eat right away