Honey Ginger Chicken
Delicately flavored with ginger and garlic, accented with a touch of five spice powder, fish sauce, soy sauce and black pepper, this stir-fried chicken dish is glazed to a succulent sweetness with honey.
3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into very thin strips
½ teaspoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 finger-length red chili, deseeded and cut into thin strips, to garnish
1 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Stir-fry the onion until fragrant and translucent, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium, add the five spice powder and mix well. Season with the fish sauce, soy sauce and honey, and stir-fry for 2 more minutes until the chicken is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter.
2 Sprinkle the black pepper on top and garnish with chili. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 8 mins
Spicy Lemongrass Tamarind Chicken
1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken thighs, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 finger-length red chili, deseeded, then cubed
1 small bell pepper, deseeded, then cubed
½ cup (125 ml) chicken stock or 1/4 chicken stock cube dissolved in ½ cup (125 ml) hot water
2 tablespoons tamarind juice (page 7)
1 tablespoon sugar
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
Marinade
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dried chili flakes or 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk lemongrass, thick bottom part only, outer layers discarded, inner part thinly sliced
1 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place the chicken pieces in the Marinade and mix until well coated. Cover with a cloth and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2 Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat, stir-fry the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and golden brown. Add the chicken, chili and bell pepper, increase the heat to high and stir-fry until the chicken is browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chicken stock, tamarind juice and sugar, and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked. Remove from the heat.
3 Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve with steamed rice.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 mins + 30 mins to marinate
Cooking time: 8 mins
Chicken and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry
This enjoyable combination of chicken and sweet potato with a touch of curry powder and creamy coconut milk is an easily made, mild yet flavorful dish which will appeal to those who do not like highly spiced food.
1 fresh chicken (about 3 lbs/1½ kg), cut into bite-sized pieces
Oil for deep-frying
3 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb/500 g), peeled and cubed, dried with paper towels
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large onion, quartered, layers separated
3 bay leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom part only, outer layers discarded, inner part cut into lengths
1 carrot, cubed
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) thick coconut milk
Marinade
2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. For a milder flavor, use less curry powder. Place the chicken pieces in the Marinade and mix until well coated. Cover the bowl with a cloth and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
2 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Deep-fry the sweet potatoes, in several batches, until crispy and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3 Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil in the wok. Reheat the oil over high heat and stir-fry the garlic until fragrant and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, bay leaves and lemongrass, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until tender. Add the marinated chicken pieces and stir-fry until the color changes, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the carrot and water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. Finally add the sweet potatoes and coconut milk, mix well and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
4 Transfer the curry to a serving platter and serve with steamed rice or crusty French bread.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 25 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 45 min
Ginger and Five Spice Fried Chicken
In Vietnam, quail—such tiny birds that two are needed per person— are used for this dish. However, chickens marinated in a mixture of seasonings and honey, then steamed and deep-fried, make an ideal substitute.
1 fresh chicken (about 3 lbs/1½ kg), cut into 8 pieces
Oil for deep-frying
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
Marinade
¼ cup (50 g) crushed rock sugar or 4 tablespoons sugar
4 shallots, sliced
2in (5 cm) fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic ½ cup (125 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine, sherry or sake 2 teaspoons five spice powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 mins + 2 hours marinating
Cooking time: 35 mins
1 Make the Marinade first by grinding the sugar, shallots, ginger and garlic to a smooth paste in a blender. Transfer to a small saucepan, combine with all the other ingredients and mix well. Bring the Marinade to a boil over medium heat, then simmer uncovered, stirring regularly, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
2 Place the chicken in the Marinade and mix until well coated. Cover with a cloth and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, basting the chicken pieces with the Marinade several times.
3 Drain off the Marinade and steam the marinated chicken for about 25 minutes in a steamer. Remove from the steamer and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
4 Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot, and deep-fry the chicken, a few pieces at a time, until crispy and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
5 Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves (cilantro).
You may keep the chicken whole for a better presentation, as shown in the photo. Use more oil to deep-fry the whole chicken. If keeping to the same amount of oil, baste the chicken regularly with the hot oil while deep-frying.
Caramel Chicken Wings
Vietnamese love the salty-sweet taste of food cooked in caramel sauce, and often use the sauce to enliven shrimp, fish, pork and chicken. These tasty wings will be the hit of any meal and are ideal partners for a mild-tasting vegetable dish.
2¼ lbs (1 kg) fresh chicken wings, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 portion Caramel Sauce (page 53)
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Bring all the ingredients to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the heat, drain off any fat and serve immediately.
