It is that time of the year where we rush to use up our basil before the cooler weather hits and it all dies off. Our crop of Thai Basil was very good this year so I have been busy searching for ways to use it up. This recipe, from Food and Wine, uses 1 and 1/2 cups of basil. Perfect for crop eating! :-)
Paul had everything prepped when I came home from work. I heated up the wok and cooked for about 20 minutes - then we ate an amazing meal.
I've made a bunch of Thai Basil chicken recipes over the years but I think this one might have been my favourite - many are a bit too sweet. This recipe nicely balanced the flavours you find with Thai foods.
Thai Chicken with Basil
1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1-by-2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
3 fresh red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin slices, or 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups lightly packed basil leaves
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar.In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.
Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan. Cook until almost done, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the marinade and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the basil. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup basil.
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