Caramelized Ginger Chicken

Bring on the heat! The sticky ginger sauce with tender chicken thighs makes for a tasty and tangy dinner delight. The recipe is from a Williams-Sonoma Cookbook I received a few weeks ago... thanks, Amy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 lbs chicken (thighs or drummettes)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely julienned
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Using a large dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken to sear on all sides until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set the pan aside, leave the oil in the pan.

2. Grab two small sauce pans. In the first, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and 3 tbsp water over low heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. In the other pan, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until the sauce comes to a simmer; set aside. Raise the heat on the sugar until it reaches a boil. Do not stir - let it boil until the mixture caramelizes and darkens, about 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and slowly pour in the fish sauce mixture. Stir immediately, it will bubble and then turn into a thick sauce.

3. Bring the dutch oven back to the stove over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Saute until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and pour the caramel sauce over the top. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is nearly tender. Remove the lid, turn the chicken over and continue to cook until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens. Use a ladle to spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken a few times.

4. Serve with your choice of rice & veggies. Garnish with the green onions.

Serves: 4
WW: 9 pts (not including rice/veggies)