Recipe: Thai Basil Chicken

This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at a Thai restaurant in Rotorua, New Zealand. It was probably the best version of the dish I have ever had in a restaurant, so I wrote down the ingredients and began to experiment with the sauces and seasoning when I got home. This is what I came up with:

Ingredients: 1 pound of chicken breast (or tenders), 3 teaspoons of chopped garlic, crushed red pepper to taste, diced carrots (about 1 cup), chopped, bite size broccoli (about 2/3 cup), diced zucchini  (about 1.5 cups), 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 10-12 large leaves of fresh basil, and cooking oil.

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken breasts with Thai seasoning. Baked in an over at 375° for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Chop into bite size pieces. If the chicken is not quite cook all the way through, it is fine. The chicken will cook further during the stir-fry phase.

Stir Fry:

1.      In a wok, heat a little oil. Sautee chopped garlic and crushed red peppers for about 90 seconds

2.      Add chicken and stir fry for about three minutes

3.      Add carrots, zucchini, broccoli and stir fry for about three minutes

4.      Add oyster sauce and soy sauce, coat vegetables well, cook for about 2  minutes

5.      Finish by adding basil, cook 30 sec to one minute. Serve immediately over cooked rice (basmati or jasmine is the best).