Thai Chicken and Peppers

This dish

is as much about color as it is about taste. Peppers and hot chiles provide one

of the widest ranges of both bright and dark hues of any vegetable family—and

their flavor is unmistakably earthy, whether mild or spicy.

Colorful

foods are not only pretty to look at, but they’re high in nutrition as well.

Even if you don’t like color on your walls, you can enjoy it on your plate.

Stir-Fry Ingredients

I used chicken thighs in this recipe to get that little extra dark-meat

juiciness, but you can use chicken breast as well—just reduce stir-frying time

by about 3 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

The Thai-style sauce—with fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar—brings the

dish together with savory, bold flavors and gives the chicken and vegetables a

glossy finish with a little cornstarch-water slurry.

Remember: Small

pieces are key in stir-fry, and having everything prepared before turning on

the heat is a must. Here, I cut both the chicken and peppers into short strips,

and thinly sliced the ginger and garlic instead of chopping them.

Slice the peppers very thinlyThinly slice the Thai chiles Slice garlic in half lengthwise, thinly slice crosswise Same for the gingerCut larger scallion bulbs in half lengthwiseHave ingredients ready to stir-fry 3 tbsp fish

sauce

3 tbs fresh

• lime juice
• 2 tbsp
• white sugar
• 1 tbsp chile
• garlic sauce
• 2 tsp soy
• sauce
• 1 tsp
• sesame oil
• 3 tsp water
• 1 tsp
• cornstarch
• For the Chicken and Peppers
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut
• into thin 1-inch strips
• 4 tbsp peanut oil, divided
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, cut into very thin 1-inch
• strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into very thin 1-inch
• strips
• 1/2 medium orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into very
• thin 1-inch strips
• 4 Thai chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 scallions, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces, green
• parts thinly sliced and set aside
• 3 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise and very thinly
• sliced crosswise
• 1-1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half
• lengthwise, then very thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 oz Thai rice noodles, cooked
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (with thin stems)
• Chicken Ready for Cornstarch Scallions, Garlic, and Ginger
• Preparation
• Whisk the first 6 ingredients (through sesame oil) in a
• medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Combine the water and cornstarch in a
• small bowl, stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved.
• Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the fish sauce mixture and set
• aside. (Re-whisk before using.)
• Sauce Mixture Sauce with Cornstarch Slurry
• For the Chicken and Peppers
• Place the cornstarch in a heavy, sealable plastic bag. Dry

the chicken of any excess moisture and add to the bag with the cornstarch.

Shake well to coat.

Heat a wok (or large, deep skillet) over medium-high heat

and add 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through, 8-9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and

wipe out the wok.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok and add

all peppers and chiles. Stir-fry 3 minutes.

Add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger and

stir-fry 2 minutes.

Return the chicken to the wok and add the cooked rice

noodles. Re-whisk the sauce and add to the wok, stirring well to

incorporate. Cook until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Chicken Beginning to CookStir-Fried ChickenPeppers and Chiles Beginning to Cook Chicken, Noodles, and Sauce Added

Divide among 4 plates or shallow bowls and garnish with the

green parts of the scallions.

Thai Chicken and Peppers