Chilli Chicken with Basil

It seems an absolute age since I last blogged. I think that's more to do with all the brilliant weather we've been having than anything else really. It's just been too nice to sit tapping away at a laptop when I don't have to

Lisa is getting to grips with her camera, hence the additional photos

So time to start getting some new stuff down and I though I'd share with you an old favourite of mine

This is a tried and tested recipe that never fails to disappoint I usually use beef but, as in this case, chicken works just as well.

A word of warning this is spicy and if you use the right chillies it can be tear your face off hot.

It has everything you'd want from a Thai dish, sweet, savoury, sour and heat.

I occasionally use Holy Basil but this is hard to come by so normally I use standard Basil

Serves 4

6 Tbsp Groundnut Oil

16-20 fresh Basil Leaves

3 Chicken Breasts

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

2 Tspn Soft Brown Sugar

2 Red Chillis sliced into rings

3 Garlic Cloves chopped

2 tsp Ginger Chopped

1 Shallot Thinly sliced

2 tbsp finely chopped basil

Juice of half a lemon

Steamed Rice to serve

Heat the oil in a wok and when hot, add the whole basile leaves and fry until they crisp up.

Slice the Chicken into thin strips, place in a bowl, add the fish sauce and the sugar mix well and leave to marinate for 30 mins

This wont take long and be WARNED they spit like crazy when you fry them

Lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and put them on kitchen paper to dry

Drain all but a tbsp of the oil and reheat. Add the Shallot , Garlic, Ginger and Chilli for around 10- 20 seconds. This will give off a very pungent aroma that can make your eyes water and make you cough. It's supposed to do this

Add the chicken and fry for around 3 mins, stirring continuously 

Flavour with the lemon juice and black pepper to your taste. Stir in the chopped basil and serve with the rice, topped off with the fried basil