Thai Basil Chicken / Pheasant
Krapow Gai or Thai Basil Chicken (or Pheasant) is a fresh Thai dish, especially great for a weeknight!
The largest challenge of infusing basil into a dish, is to ensure the basil is highlighted, while keeping the dish fresh. The basil and the chicken must be cooked at the same time, to impart the herb. Adding more basil when the dish is almost done cooking, reinforces the fresh herb. As much as I like pictures of pretty food, its more important that dishes make an impression and in this case, process makes a big difference!
This week’s Supper Challenge of “Thai.” I tweaked my original recipe for Avocado Basil Pheasant Salad Rolls with Avocado Sauce to make a more authentic Thai dish. Boy, was it worth it. I love it when the kids, ooh and ahh without really knowing what they are eating. Second helpings all around!
Taste: Basil and herb flavor, avocado and mango provide a contrast of fresh richness
Texture: Rice and ground chicken have a granular texture. The spinach, avocado and mango provide variety to make this dish more texturally appealing.
Thai Basil Chicken / Pheasant
Equipment
- Medium sized frying pan
- Pie plate or large shallow bowl
- Cutting board or dry flat surface
Ingredients
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ¾" piece (1 tablespoons) ginger
- 1-3 thai red or green chilis
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh basil or thai basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 lbs of ground pheasant or chicken
- 1 medium onion diced fine
- 1 +1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 bag or small box of baby spinach
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Juice of ½ lime
Accompaniments
- Cooked rice
- Avocado sliced thin
- Mango sliced thin
Instructions
- In a small food processor, add garlic cloves, ginger, sriracha, cilantro leaves and ¼ cup basil leaves. Pulse herbs until fine.
- On low-medium heat, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a medium sized frying pan. Once pan is warm, add onion and finely processed herb mixture from the food processor. Cook until onions are softened about 5 minutes.
- Add ground pheasant /chicken and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the frying pan. Cook ground meat gently while breaking it up into small pieces, about 5-8 minutes.
- While the ground meat is cooking, add spinach in 2-3 batches to wilt.
- Stir in oyster sauce, sugar and torn basil leaves to the frying pan and cook for 1 minute until well combined.
- Turn heat off the pan and set aside.
- Squeeze juice of ½ lime onto basil pheasant/ chicken mixture
- Serve on a bed of rice with a sunny side up egg and avocado for creamy texture. Mango adds a fresh contrast and zing to the dish. Yum!