Meat + Poultry Spicy Lemongrass Chicken 5.0 (4,239) 5 Reviews Charles Phan has firm opinions about the right and wrong way to stir-fry. "A wok isn't like a salad bowl with a flame under it. You don't want to throw everything in at once and toss. You need to layer flavors by adding ingredients in the right order." That's why he stir-fries the chicken here by itself until it is deeply golden and juicy before he transfers it to a plate; after he finishes cooking the other ingredients, he returns the chicken to the wok so all the flavors meld. Quick Chicken Recipes By Charles Phan Charles Phan Charles Phan is a James Beard Award-winning, Vietnamese-American chef. He owns The Slanted Door, a critically acclaimed restaurant in San Francisco. Charles has authored two IACP Award-winning cookbooks: Vietnamese Home Cooking (2012) and The Slanted Door (2014). He is a prolific restauranteur whose business portfolio includes seven Bay Area food and beverage ventures.Experience: Charles Phan's early interest in cooking took hold while helping his aunt in the kitchen, watching Jacques Pepin on television, and exploring San Francisco's food scene as a teenager. He studied architecture at UC Berkeley but left early with the idea of opening a modern Vietnamese restaurant. Charles began hosting small dinners for friends to refine his cooking techniques and develop his restaurant concept. In 1995, he opened his first Slanted Door in the Mission District where he grew up, later moving to a downtown location, then finally to the historic Ferry Building in 2004. Slanted Door is distinguished for its modern design, elevated Vietnamese cuisine, sustainable local ingredients, quality teas, craft cocktails, and wine pairing. The former architecture student's eye for detail was captured in the stunning food photography of his second IACP Award-winning book The Slanted Door. His Vietnamese recipes have appeared in Bon Appétit, Sunset, Food & Wine, The Splendid Table, and others.Over the years, Phan and his restaurant have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation more than 10 times. As the founder of The Slanted Door Restaurant Group, he is the creative force behind a portfolio of seven Bay Area food and beverage concepts, including a sandwich shop in Phan's old stomping ground, the Mission District.Education: Charles studied architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed, meat cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 2 plump stalks of lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced 1 medium red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine, sake or water 1/2 cup Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon Asian chili paste 4 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths 5 small dried red chiles 1 large jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced Directions In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. In a large skillet or a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil until small puffs of smoke begin to appear. Add half of the chicken and stir-fry over high heat until browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the lemongrass, onion and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce, oyster sauce, chili paste, scallions, dried chiles and jalapeño; bring to a boil. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer until heated through, then serve. © Dana Gallagher Rate it Print