Can I just say...YUMMMMM! My Aunt shared this recipe with me during Chinese New Year this past January and I have had the recipe tucked away on my phone for the past month, just waiting for the perfect nondescript weeknight to make this masterpiece.
This recipe is NOT super complicated, the most "technical" part is just melting the brown sugar in the pot, and stirring it frequently until it becomes liquid. But really, everything else is pretty easy, and the end result is AMAZING.
One thing to consider though...this is not a 15 minute recipe, it's definitely a 1hr-1.5hr recipe start to finish. So...do not start making it at 8pm (like me). I could say something fancy about the photo like, "let the complex flavor profiles of this dish shine through by serving it over white rice with chopped cilantro..." but really, I was just too lazy and tired by that point to do anything extra...and cilantro qualified as a "green thing." :)
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or safflower oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cilantro chopped for garnish (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Blot the chicken with paper towels to remove excess water.
2. Combine the soy sauce, water, white vinegar and fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches (do not crowd the skillet or pot), place chicken thighs skin side down and sear until golden brown (about 3-5 min) then flip and sear other side. Transfer the seared chicken to a plate and set aside.
4. Remove most of the oil and fat from the pan, then add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper and saute for about 1 minute.
5. Move this mixture to one side of the skillet/pot and add the brown sugar. Melt the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently so it does not burn. Once the sugar has become a liquid, add in the soy sauce mixture, and bring this to a boil, stirring.
6. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, add in the chicken thighs, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes until the liquid has reduced by atleast half. Be sure to turn the chicken occasionally.
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