Four-Flavor Glazed Chicken

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I know, you're just dying for me to post a recipe for a nice little chicken nibble that is perfect for passing at your Tis' the season party, aren't you! Well, the least I can do is accomidate. As as matter of fact, with this delightful little recipe, it is absolutely my pleasure to tell you all about it.

Deceptively simple to make it is just the most outrageously flavorful and a perfect festive treat. Also, let's face it, everyone is just plain over satay with peanut sauce (oh ok, not really, but it's still a nice change of pace) and looking for the next big thing. Well kiddies here it is. Your next big thing. The snack your guests will be clamoring for.

The flavors, heavily influenced by Southeast Asian (Thai mostly) cuisine will turn your head. A true balance of salty and sweet, (again, a theme with me) spicy and sour it's like nothing you normally get on the cocktail party passed food tray circuit.

For my guests, I served it with a simple cilantro dipping sauce, but it hardly needed it. Then again, a sauce is always festive, ya? The dipping sauce added a great contrast in colors and a perfect lemony-vibrancy chicken sometimes just calls out for. Try it, and enjoy.

4 chicken breasts, partially frozen
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 thai bird chile, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 small lime

In a bowl, whisk together the shallot, chile, ginger, garlic, water, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice. Set aside

About 15 minutes prior to cooking slice your chicken, using a serrated knife, lengthwise into strips. A single breast should yield four to six strips. I recommend doing this while its a bit frozen, since it makes it easier to slice evenly. Set aside to completely defrost.

In a large saute pan heat the oil over a high flame and add the strips in batches (too many and they will stew versus brown) to brown. Turn after two minutes to brown both sides. When almost cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spatula and place in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Reduce the heat to medium low, add the sauce and let simmer until slightly thickened, about three minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings to balance the salty, sweet, sour and spicy. Add the chicken back into the pan and turn to coat, continue cooking in batches until all the chicken is cooked.

(If you want to put the chicken on skewers, thread them after they are cooked, its messy, but easier than soaking them and whatnot. You can also do this recipe with whole chicken parts.)

For the dipping sauce, I blended a full bunch of cilantro, a tiny drop of fish sauce, a few chile flakes and some vegetable oil. Easy peasy.

Makes enough for eight to ten people as an appetizer

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Called "nam bplah" in Thai, fish sauce is the water, or juice, in the flesh of fish that is extracted in the process of prolonged salting and fermentation

Thai chiles or prik haeng are, very (spicy) hot, topping out at 8 out of 10 on the heat meter. They are small, bright orange-red and thin skinned

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HEY. Why not be a sport and check out Kate's post on the 2005 Food Blog Awards...she is taking nominations until Friday.