Name: Thai Chicken with Basil for Two
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh basil leaves; 2 green or red Thai chiles , stemmed; 1 garlic clove , peeled; 2½ teaspoons fish sauce , plus extra for serving; 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce; ½ teaspoon sugar , plus extra for serving; ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar , plus extra for serving; 1 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 shallot , sliced thin; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; Red pepper flakes

Why This Recipe Works

Stir-frying at a low temperature (versus the usual high-heat method) allowed us to add aromatics and basil at the beginning of cooking so they infused the dish with more of their flavor. Grinding the chicken in a food processor gave us coarse-textured meat that retained moisture during cooking. A combination of fish sauce, oyster sauce, and white vinegar added rich but bright flavor. Stirring in more basil at the end provided a fresh finish and bold flavor.

Before You Begin

For a milder version of the dish, remove the seeds and ribs from the chiles. If fresh Thai chiles are unavailable, substitute two serranos or one medium jalapeño. Serve with white rice.

Instructions

Pulse ½ cup basil, Thai chiles, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer 1½ teaspoons of basil mixture to small bowl and stir in 1½ teaspoons fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 10-inch nonstick skillet.

Without washing food processor bowl, pulse chicken and remaining 1 teaspoon fish sauce in food processor until meat is coarsely chopped, 6 to 8 pulses; transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Stir shallot and oil into basil mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic and shallot are golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. (Mixture should start to sizzle after about 1½ minutes; if it doesn't, adjust heat accordingly.)

Stir in chopped chicken and cook over medium heat, breaking up chicken with wooden spoon, until only traces of pink remain, 2 to 4 minutes. Add reserved basil–fish sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ½ cup basil leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until basil is wilted, 30 to 60 seconds. Serve immediately, passing extra fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and pepper flakes separately.