Vietnamese-Style Caramel-Braised Chicken
Use a heavy-duty pan with a light-color surface, which will make it easy to monitor the color of the caramel as it darkens. Nonstick or other pans with dark finishes make it difficult to see what's going on.
Ingredients
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1/4 cup fish sauce
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2 large shallots, finely chopped
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2 medium cloves garlic, minced
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1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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Freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1-1/2 to 2 lb.), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
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1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1.
In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce and 1/4 cup water. In another small bowl, mix the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.
2.
Put the sugar and 2 Tbs. water in a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Let the melted sugar come to a boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally at first and more frequently as the sugar browns, until it has caramelized to a deep amber color, 5 to 8 minutes.
3.
Remove the pan from the heat and, standing back to avoid spatters, slowly add the fish sauce mixture to the pan. Swirl the pan to combine, return to medium heat, and bring to a boil. Add the shallot mixture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
4.
Add the chicken pieces to the pan in a single layer, reduce the heat to medium low or low, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the cilantro.
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Recommended Recipe:
Vietnamese Chicken with Ginger
This dish uses the classic Vietnamese braising method that uses caramelized sugar as the base for the braising liquid. If you can find Chinese brown sugar (check out its Ingredient Discovery profile to learn more), it will give the braise a deep, complex flavor.
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