A few days ago, I wanted to test out a Thai Basil Chicken recipe I found from one of the cookbooks in my mom’s collection. I first tried the dish two years ago when my parents brought me to an underrated Thai restaurant. Initially, I was reluctant to experience the unique Thai flavors because I have always only enjoyed the tastes of cuisines more familiar to me. To say the least, the dish was impeccable, and I instantly fell in awe with the preparation--projected on the television screens hung on the walls of the restaurant--and the ability of the chef to tastefully combine all of the varying flavors in such a simple dish. I believe that now that I am older, my palate has developed to appreciate the slight nuances in food that I would not have noticed when I was younger.
I tweaked the original recipe to suit my family’s taste. It only takes a few ingredients and a couple of minutes to cook which makes it an ideal dish for very busy people. I could taste a range of notes of flavor in every single bite. The saltiness from the fish sauce and the sweetness and effervescence of the fresh basil leaves produced a well balanced plate of food that was clean with not one piece of chicken left when we all finished eating dinner.
Recipe
Yields 4 servings
~ Ingredients ~
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
20 grams or 1 head of garlic, crushed
600 grams chicken breast fillet
40 grams or 2 handfuls basil
2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 tablespoons water
1 red bell pepper (Julienne cut)
~ Procedure ~
Chop the chicken breasts into two bite-size pieces.
In a pan on medium heat, add vegetable oil and the crushed garlic. Stir-fry until golden.
Add the chicken pieces and let them cook. This took me around 5 minutes.
Then add half of the basil leaves, fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and water. Let the sauce simmer down.
Lastly, add the rest of the basil and bell pepper. Stir-fry for a few more seconds. Serve over rice and enjoy!
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