Chilli and Basil Chicken

Adapted from Hot Wok : Fabulous Fast Food with a Taste of Asia (2000)

Serves 2

Ingredients

90ml of groundnut oil/6 tbsp (I reckon you could get away with half this oil, you only need this much oil to deep fry the basil)

16-20 fresh basil leaves

400-500gms of chicken thighs, cut into pieces

30ml/2 tbsp Fish Sauce (preferable nam pal, Thai fish sauce)

1 tsp of brown sugar

1-2 fresh chillies, sliced into rings

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp of ginger (optional)

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsp of freshly chopped basil leaves

Squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and ground pepper

Jasmine rice, to serve

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a wok, when hot, add the whole basil leaves and fry for one minute until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Remove the wok from the heat and pour off all but 30ml/2 tsp of the oil.

Step 2: Mix fish sauce and sugar in a bowl, add the chicken and marinate for about 30mins. 

Step 3: Reheat the oil until hot, add the chilli, garlic, ginger and shallot and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and chopped basil and agitate the work until the chicken is cooked. Flavour with lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Transfer to a plate and scatter over the fried basil leaves and serve with jasmine rice