Chicken Basil by Diane Crispell

Dish: Chicken Basil
Cuisine: Thai
Total Preparation Time: 1 hour
Serves: Two

Ingredients: 

For the entree: 

• 2 chicken breasts
• 5-7 red chilies
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1/4 green bell pepper
• 1/4 red bell pepper
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 white onion
• 1 tbsp peanut oil
• Fresh sweet basil leaves (look for purple stems)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon base

To complete the meal: 

• 1/2 cup rice

Utensils: 

• Chinese rice bowl
• Aluminium wok
• Chopsticks
• Pressure cooker or electric rice cooker

Preparation: 

• If using a pressure cooker, soak the rice in water for 30 minutes to make the grains soft.
• Wash the chicken and cut into big bite-sized pieces and flatten with the blade of a knife. 
• Sliver the bell peppers and onion. 
• Slit the red chilies with a knife. Then soak them in cold water and remove the seeds with your fingers while they soak.
• Chop the garlic and red chilies finely. 
• Wash the basil leaves and remove the stems.

Cooking Directions: 

The sauce:

• Add all the sauces to the Chinese rice bowl and mix using a chopstick. 
• Add water till the bowl is almost full, mix well to even out the sauces. 

The rice: 

• If using a pressure cooker, immerse the rice in twice as much water (1 cup water for 1/2 cup rice, 3/4 cup water will make the rice looser and less sticky) and place in the pressure cooker. Set to medium high heat, and turn the range off after two whistles. 
• If using an electric rice cooker, follow the cooker's instructions to cook 1/2 cup rice.

The entree: 

• Heat the peanut oil in the wok on medium high heat for about 30 seconds. 
• Drop in the chicken pieces and turn to medium heat. 
• Using chopsticks, separate the pieces.
• As the pieces sizzle, add salt and pepper. 
• Try to coat them evenly with oil but do not let them turn brown. (Look for the pieces to turn white with a little bit of pink still in them. This is because they will continue to cook as you proceed to add the sauce and vegetables.)
• Add the chilies and garlic to coat the chicken pieces. 
• Add the bell peppers and onion, and toss to mix with the chicken. 
• Simmer for about a minute, so that the vegetables are still crisp. 
• Add the prepared sauce and turn the heat up to high. 
• Allow the ingredients in the wok to bubble for about 10 seconds. 
• Turn the heat to low and add the basil leaves. 
• Mix well and turn off the heat when done.

Serve: 

• Serve each person a portion of the entree with their desired amount of rice. 
• Serve with a chilled drink to cool off the heat.