Thai - Grilled Chicken w/Basil Sauce

By Addylicious

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed
• 4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed, 2 minced
• 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems, plus 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
• 6 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water

Details

Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Light the grill or heat the broiler. In a blender or food processor, puree the
-jalapeños,
-smashed garlic cloves,
-the 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems,
-the fish sauce, -
cooking oil, -
sesame oil, and
-1/4 teaspoon of the salt.

Put the chicken in a shallow dish and coat it with the cilantro puree.

2. Grill the chicken over moderately high heat or broil it for 5 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 5 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a small stainless-steel saucepan, bring the
-vinegar,
-sugar, and
-the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to a simmer, stirring.

Simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour the liquid into a small glass or stainless-steel bowl and let cool.

Add the
-minced garlic,
-1 tablespoon chopped cilantro,
-red-pepper flakes,
-water.

Serve each chicken breast with a small bowl of the dipping sauce alongside.