Iron pot chicken
I tried this this Vietnamese recipe tonight - it was delicious! It's very simple to make, although between the chopping and cooking time, it takes a while. It doesn't look like much, but the flavor is wonderful.
Notes:
-- I doubled the recipe, which fed three of us with plenty of leftovers.
-- The fish sauce smells pretty awful while reducing. Don't worry - it doesn't taste the way it smells!
Iron Pot Chicken
The New York Times, January 23, 2008
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. (*This took me about 10 monutes - maybe longer*)Add chicken and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes (*I did this for 5 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(*I cooked it for about 10 minutes, maybe more - it took a while to reduce the sauce*). Stir in cilantro and, if desired, serve over rice.
Yield: 2 servings.
Here is the New York Times introduction to the recipe:
One Pot
By ELAINE LOUIE
Published: January 23, 2008
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.
The world is full of such one-dish meals. They range from quick Asian stir-fries like iron pot chicken to complex Mediterranean stews and braises that spend the day on the stove. Making them is usually not complex, although the flavors are. Mr. Huynh’s mother’s recipe, for instance, has not been adapted for home cooking. It is home cooking.
Dishes like this are not only easy to cook, they are also communal by nature. If the pot is big enough, you can feed as many guests as you like.
Notes:
-- I doubled the recipe, which fed three of us with plenty of leftovers.
-- The fish sauce smells pretty awful while reducing. Don't worry - it doesn't taste the way it smells!
Iron Pot Chicken
The New York Times, January 23, 2008
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. (*This took me about 10 monutes - maybe longer*)Add chicken and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes (*I did this for 5 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(*I cooked it for about 10 minutes, maybe more - it took a while to reduce the sauce*). Stir in cilantro and, if desired, serve over rice.
Yield: 2 servings.
Here is the New York Times introduction to the recipe:
One Pot
By ELAINE LOUIE
Published: January 23, 2008
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.
The world is full of such one-dish meals. They range from quick Asian stir-fries like iron pot chicken to complex Mediterranean stews and braises that spend the day on the stove. Making them is usually not complex, although the flavors are. Mr. Huynh’s mother’s recipe, for instance, has not been adapted for home cooking. It is home cooking.
Dishes like this are not only easy to cook, they are also communal by nature. If the pot is big enough, you can feed as many guests as you like.