Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken
This main dish is an addictive take on ga kho gung, a spicy Vietnamese caramelized chicken with ginger and fish sauce, that is sweetened with onions, carrots, garlic, and light brown sugar.
Adapted from LAURA REGE
Food & Wine Magazine
January 2018
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 whole chicken legs (2 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
I medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 whole Vietnamese Red Bird Chilies
1 Jalapeño pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or scallions, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and brown other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the oil out of the skillet and discard.
Return skillet to moderate heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger powder; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Bring to a boil, and return chicken to skillet, skin side down. Simmer over moderate heat, occasionally basting the chicken, 8 minutes. Turn chicken and continue basting, adding water by tablespoonfuls if sauce thickens too rapidly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165°F and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the jalapeño, and toss to coat in sauce.
To serve, transfer chicken to a platter, and drizzle sauce over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro or scallions, if desired.
Hello Friends!
All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.