This is a marinade recipe for the adventurous palate. I used it to marinade the chicken for some banh mi sandwiches. Since I don’t have a working grill, I sautéd the chicken thighs in a skillet, over the stove. They browned and caramelized nicely and tasted delicious! Even the kiddos that were over for an event wanted this recipe so that “their mommies can make it at home too.” 🙂

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs organic skinless, deboned chicken thighs ~ rinsed, drained
• 3 tbs fish sauce
• 3 tbs toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs mirin
• 3 tbs granular sugar
• 3-5 tbs lemongrass ~ minced (you can buy this pre-minced at your local Asian grocer)
• 3-5 tbs fresh ginger root ~ grated
• 6 cloves garlic ~ peeled, minced
• 1 large purple shallot ~ peeled, finely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper ~ optional

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large container with a lid, combine the liquid ingredients and sugar. Stir until sugar has somewhat dissolved. Add the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallot, and black pepper.
2. Wear some disposable gloves. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the meat.
3. Cover the chicken and allow to marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 1.5 hours. It’s best to let it marinade overnight.
4. The next day, when you’re ready to cook the chicken, simply heat some cooking oil in a stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Brown the pieces on both sides, adding more oil as you need to avoid the meat sticking to the pan.
5. Once you’ve browned the meat, add the marinade sauce to the pan. Let the marinade bubble and simmer, then reduce the heat and cook until the marinade caramelizes. Flip the chicken a few times so that it’s coated on both sides. Cut into the chicken to make sure it’s cooked.
6. You can serve the chicken in banh mi sandwiches, with a fresh salad, or top it on a bed of fluffy rice, with a side of steamed veggies. Super healthy and delicious! Enjoy! 🙂