Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

By terrybryntesen

At the Slanted Door in San Francisco, chef Charles Phan prepares spectacular Vietnamese specialties like this intensely sweet and savory peppered chicken.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 About 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 2 fresh Thai chiles, halved, or dried red chiles
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cilantro sprigs

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Directions In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and the chicken and simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve. Notes Because fish sauces vary in their saltiness, Phan advises adding the fish sauce to taste. Serve With Steamed jasmine rice.