Clay Pot Ginger Chicken
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup hot water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Thai red chiles, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slivers
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3″ by 1″ pieces
1-1/2 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 scallions, cut into 2″ strips
6 cilantro sprigs, cut into 1″ lengths
Instructions:
In a small heavy saucepan, cook 2 Tbsp. of the sugar over moderate heat until bubbling and beginning to brown around the edges, about 4 minutes. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup of the hot water and simmer for 3 minutes to dissolve the caramel. Remove from the heat.
Heat the oil in a medium Chinese clay pot or in a ceramic casserole dish. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger. Stir-fry over moderate heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the chicken, fish sauce, salt and the remaining 2 tsp. of sugar and stir until the chicken turns white, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion wedges, the remaining 1/4 cup of hot water and the caramel sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining ginger and remove the pot from the heat. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.
Recipe by Mai Pham, from the March 2005 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.