1poundchicken thighs, cut into 1 inch piecesI use boneless and skinless
2.5tablespoonsfish sauce
1cupCoco Rico - coconut sodaor coconut water
2tablespoonssugar
½medium shallot, diced
1inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly slicedoptional, add extra for garnish
2clovesgarlic, minced
½tablespoonoil
green onion, slicedoptional garnish
Instructions
In a bowl, add fish sauce, shallot, garlic and ginger to the chicken and mix well. Set aside.
In a medium saute pan, add the oil then sugar. Melt the sugar on medium low heat, using a wooden spoon or chopsticks to stir continuously. Caramelize the sugar until the color is a dark rich brown. Take it off the heat.
Add the chicken to the pan, turn the heat to high and quickly coat the chicken with the caramelized sugar evenly.
Once the caramel is evenly distributed onto the chicken, add the coconut soda and bring it to a boil, take down the heat to medium low on simmer. Cover with a lid.
Simmer for 20 minutes, then take the lid off and bring up heat to medium for 5-8 minutes, until the liquid reduces and thickens a bit.
Garnish with green onions and additional sliced ginger to taste.
Serve the chicken over a bed of rice with some sliced cucumber.
Notes
Caramelizing sugar takes practice, it’s very easy to burn. Make sure to take it off the heat once it reaches a dark golden color.
Clumps of the caramel may form when the chicken is added, this happens when it cools down too quickly, but it will melt once the coconut soda is added.
If using chicken breast meat, braising should be about t 15 minutes so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
This dish is served with rice. It’s salty and sweet, and will need rice to soak up the delicious sauce. Add a side of cucumber for a refreshing crunch.
Taste the dish once it's done, if you like a sweeter taste, add more sugar or for more saltiness, add fish sauce.
If you have the time, marinate the chicken with the ginger, garlic, shallot and fish sauce for 30 minutes. This will give the dish a deeper flavor.