I didn’t eat a lot of Thai food growing up in New York even though I had access to many great Thai restaurants. In fact, the first time I had Thai food was in high school when I tried Pad Thai for the first time. I remember the sweetness, sourness, and saltiness of Pad Thai the very first time I had it. It tasted so delicious, I started venturing into trying a wider range of Thai dishes soon after. Over the years, I’ve discovered some of my favorite Thai dishes include Pad Kee Mao, Pad See Ew, Tom Kha Kai, and Tom Yum Goong. While I love many of the ingredients used in Thai cooking, one of my favorite ingredients is Thai basil. Thai basil is very fragrant and lends a deep, intense flavor once added to a dish. The distinctive taste of Thai basil is unique and is stronger in flavor than regular sweet basil. The herb also seems to elevate a dish to a whole new flavor level when added. After having my fair share of Thai food, I started replicating some of the flavors I love in Thai cooking starting with Thai basil. A simple dish I like to make with Thai basil is Thai basil chicken featuring just a few pantry ingredients and chicken breasts. The first time I made this dish for Kevin to try, he absolutely loved it. I’ve refined my cooking technique of this dish over time to include tossing the chicken pieces in cornstarch before frying them. This step helps the chicken maintain its moisture and tenderness. My Thai basil chicken dish can be prepared, cooked, and served in under 30 minutes. It is definitely a dish I make when I want a quick lunch or dinner.
Thai Basil Chicken
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin pieces
· 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
· 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
· 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
· 2½ teaspoons fine sugar
· 1½ teaspoons Shaoxing wine
· 6-8 sprigs of Thai basil
· Jasmine rice, for serving
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, add the corn starch. Coat each piece of chicken in cornstarch. Set aside.
2) In a small bowl, combine the soy sauces, sugar, and wine. Set aside.
3) Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Once hot, brown the chicken pieces in the skillet, about 5-10 minutes. Add the sauce and coat all of the chicken pieces in the sauce. Add the Thai basil and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
4) Serve the Thai basil chicken with a side of jasmine rice.
Takeaways: I like to serve Thai basil chicken with a side of jasmine rice. The Thai basil chicken dish can also be converted into a noodle dish by tossing in noodles right after step three. You can also swap in tofu in place of chicken for a vegetarian friendly version.