VIETNAMESE GINGER CHICKEN

yield 4 servings time estimate 15 minutes, at least 30 minutes marinating

Heady and gingery, with a salty-caramel flavor from the soy sauce and slightly sweet note from a touch of brown sugar, this is midweek cooking at its best. If you tend to keep fresh ginger and lime on hand, you'll be able to whip this up with pantry staples, except maybe for the chicken. I call for boneless chicken thighs here because they have a rich enough flavor to stand up to the complexity of the marinade. But if it's white meat or bust at your house, go ahead and substitute thin chicken cutlets, reducing the broiling time to two to three minutes per side. This versatile marinade also works on full-flavored fish such as salmon or tuna, and it's terrific on pork tenderloin. Make it once and you'll want to find lots of ways to keep using it. It's that tasty and that convenient. Serve this with Smashed Sichuan Cucumber Salad for crunch.

ingredient amount procedure
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 ½ pounds
Kosher salt ½ teaspoon
Pat chicken dry and season
Light brown sugar 1 tablespoon
Asian fish sauce 1 tablespoon
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Peanut oil 2 teaspoons
Lime 1 (plus ½ for serving)
Fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 inch
Garlic cloves, finely chopped 2
Red chile flakes pinch
Mix marinade Marinate chicken
Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Heat broiler Prepare baking sheet Broil chicken Serve
  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and season them with the salt.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut oil, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, and red chile flakes.
  3. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for as long as overnight.
  4. Arrange a rack in the position closest to the heat source and heat the broiler.
  5. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spread the chicken out on it in a single layer.
  6. Broil the chicken, turning the pieces over halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
  7. Serve with sauce over rice or rice noodles, topped with a squeeze of lime and some cilantro leaves.