Chinese chicken sausages studded with peanuts and chiles are elevated to a restaurant-worthy entree with caramelized bok choy in this deceptively simple meal. First they are both seared in a hot skillet, and then braised in a mandarin orange sauce until cooked through and tender, in this one-pan weeknight dish.
Ingredients
- 4 Zupan’s Kung Pao Chicken Sausages
- 5 mandarin oranges, divided
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 large clove garlic, grated
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp peanut oil, divided
- 4 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- Cooked rice, for serving
Preparation
Squeeze 2 of the mandarin oranges into a small bowl and discard the peel and pith. Stir in the oyster sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and salt. Peel and segment the remaining 3 mandarins and place them in a small bowl.
Place a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of the oil once the pan is hot. Add the sausages and sear, turning once, until they are nicely browned (but not cooked through), about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil to the hot pan. Place the bok choy cut sides down in the pan in a single layer. Cook, without turning, until the cut sides are evenly and deeply browned, 3 to 4 minutes, moving them around in the pan as needed for even cooking. Turn the bok choy so the cut sides are up and decrease the heat to medium-low. Pour in the mandarin sauce and stir it around to coat the bok choy. Nestle the sausages around the pan in between the bok choy, and scatter the mandarin segments on top. Cover with a lid (or large piece of foil) and braise until the sausages are cooked through and the bok choy is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with the peanuts and green onions. Serve over cooked rice.
