Thai Basil 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:
3/4 lb chicken boneless skinless thighs (cut into 1/2″ bite-sized cubes)
3-5 Thai chile chile (seeded and sliced thinly)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into thin 1″ pieces
1 1/2 TB fish sauce
1 tsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 TB brown sugar (packed) or agave nectar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2-2/3 cup basil (lightly packed) OR ~12 large leaves Thai basil
canola oil for the pan
Instructions:
Serves 2 people.
Make the sauce by stirring together fish sauce, tamari, brown sugar/agave, 1-2 tsp mirin (if using), and black pepper. Set it aside.
Heat a cast iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. Add about 1 TB of canola oil to the pan. Once the pan becomes hot, add shallots to the pan. Sauté for about a minute. Add garlic and chili to the pan. Continue stirring until shallots are lightly brown. Add chicken to the pan. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the red bell pepper pieces to the pan. Continue to stir until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the sauce to the pan. Mix well to ensure that the sauce is well distributed. Turn the heat off once the pan is dry. Add the basil and mix. The basil should wilt nicely from the residual heat from the pan. Serve with steamed brown rice. You can also serve topped with a fried egg made over easy.
From chowdivine.com