Vietnamese Caramelised Chicken 🇻🇳

I first came across Vietnamese food in my university days in San Francisco when I befriended two sisters who had arrived with their family from Vietnam as refugees.  I was often invited to their home for family feasts where table full of delicious spring rolls, noddles, rice, salads, seafood and meat dishes were presented with unusual fresh herbs and condiments.  There was always plenty of pungent fish sauce in their cooking, which I wasn't too sure about at first but now use it liberally in my southeast Asian dishes. Where there is fish sauce, palm sugar is not far behind.  In this recipe, the two ingredients work together in a tasty caramelised chicken stir fry.    

Serves 2

 

 

INGREDIENTS

• 380g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 4cm / 1½" pieces
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1-2 red cayenne chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• ¼ cup purple or French shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar, finely grated or granulated* 
• ½ cup coconut water*
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 spring onion, sliced diagonally into 5cm / 2" lengths, for garnishing

*I use granulated palm sugar, which can also be substituted with brown sugar.

*Coconut water is used for its delicate tropical flavour.  It can be substituted with water.

METHOD

1. In a bowl, mix chicken with 1 tablespoon fish sauce and most of the chopped chillies if using, leaving a little for garnishing.
2. Make the caramel sauce by adding 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan.  Let the sugar melt in the oil over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it caramelises and turns dark brown in colour.  Remove from heat and pour in the coconut water (which will sizzle a bit so be careful).  Return to heat and cook it gently, stirring, for another minute to combine.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium high heat.  Add the chopped ginger and shallots.  Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
4. Push the ginger and shallots to one side of the pan.  Add chicken and spread it out in one layer, then flick the ginger and shallots back on top of the chicken to protect them from burning.  Let the chicken fry, undisturbed, for a minute to brown on one side before turning them over to the other side.  Stir in the remaining tablespoon of fish sauce and vinegar.
5. Add the caramel sauce and toss to combine with chicken.  Reduce the heat to medium and let the chicken simmer in the sauce for about 5-10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken turns golden brown with caramelisation.  Remove from heat.
6. Garnish with spring onions and reserved red chillies if using.  Serve with Jasmine rice and steamed vegetables.