Dinner Tonight: Iron Pot Chicken Recipe

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 large shallots, cut into quarters, or half a medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 pound chicken thigh meat (about 1.3 pounds on the bone), cut into bite-size pieces
• 10 fresh Thai bird chilies, stemmed and crushed, or 4-5 dried ones; in a pinch (no pun intended) use red chili flakes
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne or matchsticks
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup chicken stock or water
• 2 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, stir together fish sauce and sugar until partially dissolved. Heat the oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet (doesn't have to be iron) over medium heat. Add shallots or onion and cook, stirring, a couple minutes until soft but not brown.
2. Add fish sauce mixture (and dried chilies, if using) and stir as sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add chicken pieces and and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes.
4. Add fresh chilies (if using), ginger and black pepper, and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add stock or water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced and thickened and chicken is cooked, about 5 more minutes.
6. Stir in cilantro and, if desired, serve over rice.

fish sauce, sugar, vegetable oil, shallots, thigh meat, fresh thai bird chilies, ginger, freshly ground black pepper, chicken, cilantro, white rice

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/01/dinner-tonight-iron-pot-chicken-recipe.html (may not work)