Thai Chicken With Basil
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- will be divided into 1/2 c and 1/2 c
- 1 or 2 green or red Thai chilis, stemmed (depending on your spice tolerance)
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 1/2 tsp fish sauce, plus extra for serving
- will be divided into 1 1/2 tsp + 1 tsp
- 1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar, plus extra for serving
- 1 (8-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 shallot, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- optional: 1 carrot, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- red pepper flakes
Pulse 1/2 c basil, Thai chiles, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer 1 1/2 tsp of the basil mixture to a bowl and stir in 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Transfer remaining basil mixture from the food processor into a 10-inch non-stick skillet.
Without washing food processor, pulse chicken and remaining 1 tsp fish sauce in food processor until meat is coarsely chopped. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or skip this step if you are in a hurry.
Stir shallot and oil into basil mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic and shallot are golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. (Mixture should start to sizzle after 1 1/2 minutes; if it doesn't, adjust heat accordingly).
Stir in chopped chicken and carrot (if using) and cook over medium heat, breaking up chicken with a 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 longer pink, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1/2 c 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.
Serve with rice.
Serves 2.