Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken

Adapted from Jim Hoveke, Ben Pao restaurant, Chicago IL (now closed)

This recipe is from a favorite Chinese styled restaurant that was once located in Chicago called Ben Pao. Ben Pao has since closed down, but before they did they had a cooking class and the provided this recipe for one of their dishes, which was very tasty. Ben Pao’s “Thai Basil Chicken”.

Time

1 hour total

Storage notes

keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days

Difficulty

very easy

Yield

1133.5 g (servings 2 )

Ingredients

Weight

Volume

Procedure

Sous vide chicken breast (salt, white pepper)

680 g

4⅞ cup

Pre-cook chicken, slice, and set aside.

Fish Sauce

116 g

3 ounces

Lemon Juice

61 g

¼ cup

Sugar

30 g

6 tsp

Sambal Olek (Chili Paste)

9.3 g

¾ tbsp

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

**Note: Fish sauce can be very salty, consider 77 grams of Fish Sauce and 39 grams of water instead if you salt averse.

Peanut oil

27 g

⅛ cup

Heat wok to high and add peanut oil.

Minced Garlic

12.2 g

1 tbsp

Minced Ginger

17 g

2 tbsp

Minced Lemon Grass

9 g

1 tbsp

Scallions, sliced (white parts only)

43 g

.5 cup, sliced

Red Onion, sliced

59 g

½ cup

Corn starch slurry

Add the Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Grass, Scallion, and Red Onion and stir fry for about 1 minute.

Add the sauce from B and bring to simmer. DO NOT OVERCOOK.

Add corn starch slurry a tablespoon at a time and stir fry for 30 seconds until sauce thickens to your desired consistancy, sauce should still be liquid and drip off a spoon.

Add sliced chicken from step A and toss to mix

Thai Basil

20 g

1 cup leaves, whole

Cilantro

13 g

1 cup

Ground Roasted Peanuts

37 g

¼ cup

Move wok off heat and toss in Thai Basil Leaves and Cilantro Leaves and stir to wilt.

Top with Ground Roasted Peanuts and serve over rice.

Adapted: 2012.

Notes

Make your first batch of sauce and keep refining until you get the taste you like. Once you do that, you can make the sauce several batches at a time and freeze for EZ prep. Substitute regular basil if you cannot find Thai Basil.

Making ahead

Make chicken A and and store in fridge or freezer. Roast peanuts and grind or use store bought. As in most wok cooking, it is imperative that you have all ingredients ready before firing up the wok, proper mise en place is essential.

Drink pairings

Great with Sake, Riesling, or a Chardonnay

Nutrition

Serving size 567 g; calories 867.5 kcal, kilojoules 3629 kJ, protein 107.7 g, carbohydrates 29.3 g, sugar 21 g, fat 33.4 g, saturated fat 6.5 g, unsaturated fat 28.8 g, trans fat 0 g, fiber 3.1 g, cholesterol 261.8 mg,

Finished recipe

Recipe: Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken. Step .

Plated Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken over jasmine rice

Steps

Recipe: Ben Pao’s Thai Basil Chicken. Step 1.

1 Mise en place critical for stir fry!

Type stir-fry

Author Todd in Chicago

Yield (approx)

Servings

Serving size 567 g

Serve	Per serve
Energy (kcal)	867.5
Energy (kJ)	3629
Protein (g)	107.7
Fat (g)	33.4
Carbs (g)	29.3
Sugars (g)	21
Fiber (g)	3.1
Sodium (mg)	4782.1
Cholesterol (mg)	261.8

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