Vietnamese chicken in caramel sauce

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 900 g chicken fillet(s), cut into strips
• 100 g sugar snap peas, cut into diagonal strips
• 5 spring onions, in rings
• 3 peppers, green, in rings
• 150 g cashew nuts
• 2 sprigs of coriander, chopped
• 1 chili pepper(s), red, pitted and chopped
• Fish sauce (nuoc mam) to taste
• Lime juice, to taste
• Oil, for frying
• 4 tbsp sugar, white
• 4 tbsp sugar, brown
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 piece(s) ginger, approx. 3x2cm, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, squeezed
• 3 tbsp fish sauce, Vietnamese (nuoc mam)
• 180 ml water, boiling
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 200 g noodles (rice noodles), soften in hot water

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes

easy to prepare (and reheat)

Brown the chicken fillet, cut into strips, in hot oil in a large pan/wok. Once everything is well browned, reduce the heat and add the snow peas, sautéing for one minute. Then add the spring onions, peppers, and chili, and sauté everything for another three minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with lime juice and fish sauce. To make the caramel sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of white sugar in 1-2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan. When the sugar is well browned, add the oil, garlic, and ginger (careful: it will sizzle in the saucepan), then add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, then deglaze with the hot water (it will sizzle again!). Now add the 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and let it reduce by half for a few minutes. Finally, pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and season to taste with fish sauce and, if desired, lime juice. Let the seared meat and all the vegetables sit in the cooled caramel sauce in the refrigerator for a while (overnight is also possible). Reheat everything, add the cashews and chopped cilantro, and let it sit briefly. Serve with hot rice noodles. P.S.: Don’t stick to the vegetable instructions slavishly; use whatever you like. Tip: Rice noodles can be easily reheated in the microwave.