sure fire winners: one pot chicken
I'm slowly accumulating recipes that are easy to make, use common/ inexpensive ingredients, and taste good enough to keep me interested for repeat servings. So far I have about 2 that meet those criteria. The following recipe happy accident, a skinny blip parked on the edge of the paper I would have missed were it not for the oversized title. Judging from the number of salivating coworkers who inquired after it, this one is definitely a keeper.
ONE POT CHICKEN
published in the NYTimes: January 23, 2008
By ELAINE LOUIE
IRON pot chicken is a childhood favorite of Michael Huynh, the executive chef and a partner at Bun and Mai House. He learned to cook it by watching his mother in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam, as she sautéed chicken with caramelized sugar and fish sauce. The dish, which takes only 12 minutes, is a bright, palate-awakening blend of salty, sweet and spicy. Best of all, it all comes together in a single pot (... rest of intro)
3 tablespoons fish sauce.
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
3 large shallots, cut into quarters, or half a medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces 1 inch square and 3/4 inch thick
10 fresh Thai bird chilies, stemmed and crushed*
1 ounce ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock or water*
2 sprigs cilantro, chopped
Cooked white rice, for serving (optional).*
1. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce and sugar; set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add shallots or onion and stir until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add fish sauce mixture and stir until sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown. Add chicken and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add chilies, ginger and black pepper, and stir for 2 minutes. Add stock or water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced and thickened and chicken is cooked, about 5 more minutes. Stir in cilantro and, if desired, serve over rice.
*I used frozen Thai bird chillies, water instead of stock, and copious cilantro. Rice is a must, as it soaks up all the delicious juices. This dish serves well as leftovers too.