Re: [CH] Chile-Heads Digest V4 #325
Paul Richards (paular@zoo.co.uk)
Tue, 24 Feb 1998 17:51:45 +0000
Allen L Marshall <crataegus@yhc.edu> wrote;
>Anyone else have any references to chiles they'd like to post to the list?
"Drawing Blood" by Poppy Z. Bright (Brite?), has a central character - Zak
(I think). He is a computer hacker with a fondness for munching fresh
chiles. A recommended read.
Randy <rock4u@rocketmail.com> wrote;
>Thai Basil Chicken
>
>1 lb. or more skinned, boned chicken breasts
>1-2 cloves garlic, minced and crushed
>1-2 green onions, chopped
>2-3 TBS peanut oil
>1-5 Thai peppers, finely chopped
>3/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
>2-5 TBS fish sauce
>Handful crunched up peanuts
>
>Cut chicken into tiny slivers. Heat up wok, add oil, and stir fry
>garlic, peanuts and green onions until tender but not brown, about 1-2
>minutes. Add thai peppers and cook, stirring, about 1 minute more.
>Add chicken and stir fry until cooked through. Stir in basil and fish
>sauce, mixing thoroughly. Serve over rice, if desired. Sometimes I
>squeeze lemon or lime on the top. Sometimes I add Curry Powder to the
>recipe.
Here's my variation;
Omit the green onions & peanuts from the above.
After slicing the chicken, marinate for at least half hour in 2 tbs of
Sesame oil & a splash of soy sauce.
Take 10 - 20 whole basil leaves (preferably Thai sweet basil), wash & dry
them thoroughly, then deep fry a few at a time in the wok for 30-40
seconds, until crispy. Drain on absorbent paper & put aside.
Slice 4 whole plump garlic cloves. Deseed 4-6 Thai chilli's (UK spelling)
(a mixture of red & green ads colour - obviously!), chop into chunks or
slice lengthways into strips. Stir fry for a minute or so until the aroma
rises, the garlic slices start to colour (& if you have no extractor you
start to cough!)
Throw in the chicken, stir fry quickly until it starts to brown. Then add
the fish sauce, a teaspoon of oyster sauce (optional - reduce the amount of
fish sauce if you use it), & 1 teaspoon of sugar(there may be sugar in the
fish sauce, in which case you won't need to add any) Reduce the heat & cook
for a further couple of minutes.
Less than a minute before serving add a good handful or two of fresh whole
basil leaves & stir in.
Serve garnished with the deep fried basil leaves & 2-4 whole Thai chilli's
finely sliced. Accompany with Jasmine rice & a salad of cucumber, scallions
& cilantro leaves, dressed with lime juice. And lots of cold beers.
This recipe has converted people who previously didn't like hot food;-)
Paul