Thai Basil Chicken

We’ve tried this recipe from Asian Noodles twice now. It’s not bad, but the first time it came out too salty. The second time I reduced the soy a lot and the fish sauce a little, and it came out a little fish saucy. Like the pad thai recipe though, it’s pretty good and pretty easy, so we’re going to keep tweaking it until we get it right. I also substituted carrots and celery for the red bell pepper, because we’re not big on peppers around here. Finally, I also left out the hot chili, since we usually make things milder and add heat individually as desired.

Ingredients

Marinade
3 tbsp fish sauce
1.5 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1.5 tbsp minced shallots

Sauce
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp water
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced 1/4″ thick
2.5 tbsp safflower or corn oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
6 oz thin rice stick noodles, prepared, rinsed, and drained
1.5 c thai basil, coarsely chopped

Directions

Combine the marinade ingredients, then add the chicken, tossing to coat. Set aside while chopping and preparing the other ingredients and mixing the sauce. Heat a wok or large pot (even a 12″ skillet is a little small) on high and add the oil. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and onion and stir-fry for a minute or two. Add the chicken and stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink. Mix well and cook until the chicken is just cooked through. Add the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the noodles and stir until they absorb the sauce. Remove from heat, add the basil, and mix well. Serve.