some like it hot

Thank you Claudia and Bill for this fantastic dish! 3 of some of my most favorite flavors are combined in this dish. And any dish with more than 5 cloves of garlic is a two thumbs up from me. Hubby gives it his "have again" approval. However I have to give you all a little warning. This is not a recipe for those of you with faint taste buds. Only those with bold taste buds who can handle the heat! It was right up my alley! It can be adjusted for heat but I loved it the way it was!

Basil, Chili and Garlic Chicken! -4 servings

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1/2 lb thin Asian rice noodles or vermicelli pasta

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, plus 1 cup finely chopped onion

8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar; set aside. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. While noodles are cooking, heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then the sliced and chopped onion and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant and softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat for about 1 minute. Working in 2 batches if necessary, spread the chicken in a single layer in the pan without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until the edges change color, about 1 minute. Turn and continue cooking, tossing now and then, until lightly browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic mixture to the chicken and then add the sauce. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and evenly coated with sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bail, tossing until slightly wilted. Serve chicken over the noodles.

My Notes: This was very quick, very easy and very tasty. I do recommend fixing some without chili's for the kids or make them something else entirely. They will be crying from the heat! I substitued the fish sauce with oyster sauce since my grocery store only carries the million gallon size of fish sauce and I'll never use it all before it goes bad. I'm guessing you could also use all soy sauce or a combo of the soy and a general stir-fry sauce in place of fish sauce if you aren't keen on it. You might just need to add a little cornstarch slurry to it if you want a thicker sauce.