Recipe No 249 stir-fry Adapted 2012

Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken

This recipe is from a favorite Chinese styled restaurant that was once located in Chicago called Ben Pao. Ben Pao has since closed down, but before they did they had a cooking class and the provided this recipe for one of their dishes, which was very tasty. Ben Pao’s “Thai Basil Chicken”.

Adapted from Jim Hoveke, Ben Pao restaurant, Chicago IL (now closed)

Recipe: Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken.
Time

Prep:

Total:

Difficulty
very easy
Yield
2 serves • 1134 g
Metric Imperial

Processes

  • Sous vide chicken breast (salt, white pepper)
    680 g
  1. 01
    Pre-cook chicken, slice, and set aside.

  • Fish Sauce
    116 g
  • Lemon Juice (¼ cup)
    61 g
  • Sugar (2 tbsp)
    30 g
  • Sambal Olek (Chili Paste) (2¼ tsp)
    9.3 g
  1. 02
    Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
  2. 03
    **Note: Fish sauce can be very salty, consider 77 g / 2.7 oz of Fish Sauce and 39 g / 1.4 oz of water instead if you salt averse.

  • Peanut oil (2 tbsp)
    27 g
  1. 04
    Heat wok to high and add peanut oil.

  • Minced Garlic (1 tbsp)
    12 g
  • Minced Ginger (2 tbsp)
    17 g
  • Minced Lemon Grass (1 tbsp)
    9 g
  • Scallions, sliced (white parts only) (.5 cup, sliced)
    43 g
  • Red Onion, sliced (½ cup)
    59 g
  • Corn starch slurry
  1. 05
    Add the Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Grass, Scallion, and Red Onion and stir fry for about .
  2. 06
    Add the sauce from and bring to simmer. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
  3. 07
    Add corn starch slurry a tablespoon at a time and stir fry for until sauce thickens to your desired consistancy, sauce should still be liquid and drip off a spoon.
  4. 08
    Add sliced chicken from step A and toss to mix

  • Thai Basil (1 cup leaves, whole)
    20 g
  • Cilantro (1 cup)
    13 g
  • Ground Roasted Peanuts (¼ cup)
    37 g
  1. 09
    Move wok off heat and toss in Thai Basil Leaves and Cilantro Leaves and stir to wilt.
  2. 10
    Top with Ground Roasted Peanuts and serve over rice.

Notes

Make your first batch of sauce and keep refining until you get the taste you like. Once you do that, you can make the sauce several batches at a time and freeze for EZ prep. Substitute regular basil if you cannot find Thai Basil.

Making ahead

Make chicken and and store in fridge or freezer. Roast peanuts and grind or use store bought. As in most wok cooking, it is imperative that you have all ingredients ready before firing up the wok, proper mise en place is essential.

Storing

keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days

Drink pairings

Great with Sake, Riesling, or a Chardonnay

Finished recipe

  • Recipe: Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken
    Mise en place critical for stir fry!

Categorisation

Category
stir-fry
Meal
dinner lunch
Cuisine
chin thai
Diet
carnivorous low calorie
Tags
ben pao thai basil