Time: 20 minutes with prep
One of the best things about eating hot and spicy food is that if you have the the right amount of spice, it heightens the flavour of the whole dish which is why I love Thai cuisine. Not to mention the many beneficial qualities of capsaicin, the key element of hot pepper. Capsaicin has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties that have been used for centuries: an old remedy that rarely fails for achy muscles is a topical cayenne rub and some say a headache is eased by ingesting fresh hot peppers. Beyond that, eating spicy food usually means you eat less, which is handy if you are watching your portion sizes. Just beware if you're prone to heartburn, you could be counting antacids in the night instead of sheep.
This dish is quick and easy to prepare and can be modified to suit a vegetarian diet by exchanging the chicken for tofu. I used chicken thighs that I de-boned and skinned (rather haphazardly I must say) so that the chicken would remain moist and flavourful. If you're a white meat fan, you could easily exchange the thighs for breast meat, but be careful not to overcook it. If anyone knows a quick and effective way to skin and de-bone a thigh, I would love to hear it.
Using Thai basil is the best bet for this recipe and is usually found fresh at Asian supermarkets. Thai basil has a sharper taste and a more earthy flavour than the basil one would normally use for Italian dishes. It has smaller, more pointed leaves and distinct purple stems that have less anise notes and I would say a more "peppery" quality than the usual garden variety basil. It does make a difference in this dish, and also compliments pork quite well.
A good rule of thumb with the accompanying garnishes is to have them on the table for each person to enhance their serving to taste. You can even dole out additional portions of fish sauce on the table, and I dare say sliced chilies for those who really want to feel the burn.
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, or high smoke-point oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 fresh red Thai chilies, sliced
- 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup green beans, sliced in 5mm pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, chopped
Garnish with: chopped peanuts, sliced green onion, and quartered lime
1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium-high to high heat. To test the temperature of the oil, toss in a few pieces of garlic. If they instantly bubble and sizzle, the oil is ready. If the garlic browns it is too hot.
2) Add the garlic and chilies to the oil, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. The chilies will pale slightly in colour.
3) Add the chicken and keep stirring. Cook for two minutes before adding the green beans.
4) When the green beans begin to soften, add the oyster and fish sauce, stirring all the while.
5) Finally, stir in the Thai basil until it wilts. The green beans should still have a subtle crunch in texture when the dish is finished.
6) Serve on a bed of jasmine rice and garnish with the chopped peanuts, sliced green onion, and a squeeze of lime.
