Caramel-Braised Chicken with Ginger and Lime
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Vietnamese caramel chicken is a dish with multiple layers of flavors: salty, sweet, smoky, bitter and meaty. For our take, we used coconut water as the cooking liquid; it added a subtle salty-sweet richness that brought even more complexity to the dish. The generous amount of ginger, cut into matchsticks, mellows and softens as it cooks, and it adds a brightness that perks up the deeper flavors.
Ingredients
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½
cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut water, divided
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¼
cup white sugar
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3
tablespoons fish sauce
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2
medium shallots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (½ cup)
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1
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into ⅛-inch matchsticks (⅓ cup)
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2
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into 1½-inch chunks
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¼
cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
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1
small jalapeño chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
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1
tablespoon grated lime zest, plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
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Steamed rice, to serve
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Lime wedges, to serve
Directions
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01In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, combine the 1 tablespoon coconut water and the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns golden at the edges, about 3 minutes. Reduce to medium and continue to cook, swirling the pan but without stirring, until the caramel is mahogany in color and smokes lightly, another 4 to 5 minutes.See Demo
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02Off heat, add the fish sauce and stir; the mixture will steam and bubble vigorously. Set the pan over medium, pour in the remaining ½ cup coconut water and stir until fully incorporated. Add the shallots and ginger and bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to low and cook for 5 minutes.See Demo
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03Stir in the chicken. Cover and cook over medium, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a steady simmer. Uncover, increase to medium-high and simmer vigorously (the sauce will form large bubbles), stirring occasionally, until the chicken is glazed and the sauce is syrupy, about 8 minutes.See Demo
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04Off heat, stir in half of the cilantro, the jalapeño, lime zest and lime juice. Top with the remaining cilantro and serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.See Demo
Mains
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