Chicken Breasts with Sweet Chiles and Basil

Chicken Breasts with Sweet Chiles and Basil

Recipe Type: Poultry, Rice, Coconut Milk
Yields: 2 servings
Prep time: 20 min
25 min

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon walnut oil
3 baby leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon chicken stock/broth
1 cup Jasmine rice
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
Coarse salt or sea salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon good quality fish sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 small, sweet chile peppers (such as Banana and/or Cubanelle), sliced*
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup loosely-packed and torn fresh sweet
basil leaves
Fresh lime wedges

* You may use jalapeño peppers, if you prefer, a combination of red and green would be very nice.

Preparation:

In a medium sauce pan, sauté the leeks in the walnut oil, until soft. Add the tablespoon of chicken broth and simmer until the broth has evaporated. Add the rice, 3/4 cup chicken stock, coconut milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, mix well to dissolve sugar; set aside.

Meanwhile, add peanut oil to a non-stick pan and heat. Add garlic and the chile peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, about 20 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add chicken breasts and cook until nicely browned, flip and brown the other side reduce heat and cook until chicken is done, about 7 minutes. Add a little chicken broth to the pan, if necessary. Add the chiles and garlic back into the pan, with the soy sauce mixture and cook about 1 minute more to heat through, turning chicken several times to coat. Taste and finish off with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, if needed. Add fresh basil and stir to combine.