Iron Pot Chicken

Like a Viet adobo.

Iron Pot Chicken
2-3 servings

6 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
vegetable oil
6 large shallots, cut into quarters, or a medium onion, cut into wedges
2 pounds chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-size pieces
15 fresh Thai bird chilies, stemmed and crushed
1.5 inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne or matchsticks
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock or water
2 tsp Dark soy
Slurry
Scallions and cilantro

1. In a small bowl, stir together fish sauce and sugar until partially dissolved. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots
or onion and cook, stirring, a couple minutes until soft but not brown.

2. Add fish sauce mixture and stir as sugar caramelizes and turns golden
brown, 2 minutes.

3. Add chicken pieces and and stir until opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Add fresh chilies, ginger and black pepper, and stir for 2 minutes.

5. Add stock and soy, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Turn heat
to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is
reduced and thickened and chicken is cooked, about 15 more minutes.
Thicken with slurry if it needs it.

6. Stir in scallions and cilantro, and serve with rice