Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

• Recipe by Charles Phan

At the Slanted Door in San Francisco, chef Charles Phan prepares spectacular Vietnamese specialties like this intensely sweet and savory peppered chicken.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2. About 1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
3. 1/4 cup water
4. 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
5. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
7. 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
8. 2 fresh Thai chiles, halved, or dried red chiles
9. 1 tablespoon canola oil
10. 1 shallot, thinly sliced
11. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
12. 4 cilantro sprigs 

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles.
   
   2. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and the chicken and simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro and serve.
   

Serve With

Steamed jasmine rice

Notes

Because fish sauces vary in their saltiness, Phan advises adding the fish sauce to taste.