Kiwiberry Chicken Bulgogi

From the garden

• 2 cups ripe kiwiberries, stems pinched off · one cup for the marinade, one cup for the table; kiwi is a common allergen, so anyone who reacts to kiwi or latex should sit this one out
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, sliced 1/4 inch thick across the grain
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp brown sugar · just a tablespoon, since the kiwiberries carry most of the sweetness
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp neutral oil · for the pan, divided between the two batches
• 1½ cups steamed rice · for serving
• black pepper

1. Blend 1 cup of the kiwiberries with the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and sesame oil until smooth. Halve the second cup, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for the finish.
2. Toss the sliced chicken and the onion through the marinade and leave it 30 minutes at room temperature, no longer. The actinidin in kiwi keeps digesting protein the whole time, and two hours turns the meat pasty rather than tender.
3. Heat half the neutral oil in a wide skillet over high until it just begins to smoke. Lift half the chicken out with tongs, letting the marinade drip back into the bowl, and lay it down in one uncrowded layer.
4. Sear undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes until the edges catch and caramelize, turn, and cook 2 minutes more. Crowding the pan steams the meat and the sugars never color, so tip this batch onto a warm plate and cook the second the same way.
5. Pour the leftover marinade into the empty pan and boil hard 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until it darkens and thickens. Return all the chicken with the scallions and toss 1 minute to coat.
6. Spoon over steamed rice and scatter the halved kiwiberries on at the table, where they stay whole and fresh, with black pepper alongside.