Fish Sauce Caramel Chicken

(3)

This excellent take on ga kho gung, Vietnamese caramelized chicken with ginger and fish sauce, is sweetened with shallots, garlic, and palm sugar. Slideshow: More Chicken Leg Recipes 

Fish Sauce-Caramel Chicken
This addictive take on ga kho gung, Vietnamese caramelized chicken with ginger and fish sauce, is sweetened with shallots, garlic, and palm sugar. Photo: Christopher Testani
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 4 whole chicken legs (2 1/2 pounds)

  • Kosher salt

  • Pepper

  • 4 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

  • 3 large shallots, thinly sliced

  • 4 garlic cloves

  • One 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled, julienned

  • 1/2 cup palm sugar or light brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 1 jalapeño, sliced

Directions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and brown other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the oil out of the skillet and discard.

  2. Return skillet to moderate heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, shallots, garlic, and ginger; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.

  3. Add sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Bring to a boil, and return chicken to skillet, skin side down. Simmer over moderate heat, occasionally basting the chicken, 8 minutes. Turn chicken and continue basting, adding water by tablespoonfuls if sauce thickens too rapidly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165° and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Add jalapeño, and toss to coat in sauce. Transfer chicken to a platter, and drizzle sauce over the chicken.

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