Iconic Thai Flavors
On my first visit to Malaysia, I found myself in Penang sitting in a small Thai café near New Lane, and I ordered something called Bangkok Chicken. I almost ate the plate, it was that good. I returned the next day with my crew, ordered the dish again, and this time positioned myself at the chef’s elbow while he made this dish. This recipe is my interpretation.
I love to use ketchup as an ingredient in cooking; the stuff is awesome and very traditional in many parts of southern Asia, where tomato-vinegar-sugar sauces have been used for centuries. The heat-sweet factor here is phenomenal, and I think this recipe is the one my friends clamor for the loudest when we plan dinner parties. Serve it with short-grain or Thai sticky rice, a tart salad (try arugula with lemon and oil or spicy green papaya) and some steamed green vegetables.
Sweet & Sour Bangkok-Style Chicken with Chiles
Ingredients
- 5 dried árbol chiles, split lengthwise and seeds removed
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 Thai red chiles
- 4 lemongrass stalks, tender inner white part only, minced (about 1/3 cup)
- 8 shallots, chopped (2 cups)
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- 12 small skinless, boneless chicken thighs (3 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
In a heatproof bowl, soak the árbol chiles in the boiling water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the chiles. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the árbol chiles with the Thai chiles, lemongrass, shallots and garlic and puree until smooth.
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the turmeric, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add half of the chicken thighs and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes total; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Add the chile puree to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, vinegar, sugar and 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook the carrots until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drain. Add the carrots and peas to the chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mint and season with salt. Transfer the chicken to a platter and spoon the sauce over the top.
MAKE AHEAD The cooked chicken can be refrigerated in the sauce overnight.
SERVE WITH Steamed rice.
Originally published in Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures on foodandwine.com.
Photo by Stephanie Meyer.
