Here we are in August, supposedly the dog days of summer, and the weather doesn't seem to want to cooperate. This is the time of year when we normally are fleeing to any water source to cool down while praying our air conditioning doesn't fail. We should be sweating out the two or three weeks when the temperature barely drops below ninety and the air is so damp you aren't sure if you should inhale or gulp. Just because the weather isn't cooperating doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy the foods that are best in the heat and sweltering humidity.
During my public clinic time at chiropractic college, my mentor introduced several of my classmates and me to a local Vietnamese restaurant just down the road, and we began to look forward to their two star hot Sweet and Spicy Chicken every Thursday. Until one day we called to order and were told they were bought out by a Chinese chain, who told us every week for the remainder of our clinic time "we no have sweet spicy chicken, we Chinese! You order Chinese or stop calling!". After twenty years of searching, I've finally found a way to reproduce something close to what my palate has missed. It has pungent garlic and ginger, Thai chilies to make the heat creep up from the back of the throat, plenty of lemongrass for flavor, and lots of onion to offset the heat. When it's hot and humid, sweet and spicy is just what the body needs. Here's my version of Vietnamese Sweet and Spicy Chicken. Bon Apétit!
Marinade
4 large Thai chilies, minced
3 TBSP rice wine vinegar
6 TBSP fish sauce
3 TBSP sugar
4 lemongrass stalks, finely diced (you can find them in the fresh herb section, this year, I've got a few plants in my garden)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" pieces
4 TBSP vegetable oil (I prefer cold expeller pressed sunflower or safflower)
4 stalks lemongrass, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 cup young coconut juice (not milk)
2 medium onions, Frenched
2 bunches green onions (tops and all) sliced into 3/4" pieces
4-6 Thai chilies, minced (if you like it hot)
cilantro to garnish
Add chilies to rice wine vinegar and let sit for at least an hour to pickle. Add remainder of marinade ingredients into large bowl, add pickled chilies and vinegar and chicken thighs. Refrigerate at least overnight, up to 48 hours. Heat large saute' pan over high heat and add oil. Saute' lemongrass, garlic, and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant. Add chicken and sear on all sides (2 minutes per side or so). Once chicken is cooked through, add coconut juice and cover. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes to infuse chicken with flavors and tenderize. Add onions and cover for another 3-5 minutes until slightly softened. Add green onions and toss to combine. If you like it hot, add extra chilies. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.
