Caramelized Ginger Chicken

Tired of bland chicken? Look no further because this recipe is absolutely delicious. It is warm, sticky, sweet and lick your fingers good. This recipe use the lovely ginger and it may not seem like the star ingredient but it sure adds that little extra something. Although, for me and my recipes, this is definitely a lengthy recipe in that there are a lot of steps and a total of 3 pans to wash... which I hate doing! However, it is well worth it because the flavor is just intense. Caramelizing the sauce just marries it to the chicken, which makes it messy but oh so good. This is great weekend, barbeque, sports watching, poolside recipe. This would be wonderful with just chicken wings; and I can guarantee it is a crowd pleaser. One ingredient you may not be familiar with that is used in this recipe is fish sauce. Fish sauce you say? Yes, fish sauce! You can find it at your local grocery store in the Asian foods section or  at a local Asian food market...if all else fails and you still can't find it, I suppose the internet is always an option!  And I hope you didn't say "fish sauce eeewwww", because all it does is add a rich saltiness to the recipe. I do recommend using bone-in chicken pieces to add more flavor, your chicken will stay moist and will hold up through the high heat searing process. I hope you enjoy this sticky, gooey, yumminess as mush as I did. Enjoy!

Recipe:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 lbs chicken (thighs, drumsticks, wings, breast)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 green onion, sliced on diagonal

1. In a large pot, heat oil over high heat; let the pan get hot. Add the chicken to sear on all sides. Sear in batches for better results. Transfer all the chicken pieces when done searing to a plate and set aside.

2. In a separate saucepan, over low heat, combine sugar, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of water and to dissolve the sugar; stir occasionally. In another saucepan, over low heat, add the fish sauce, soy sauce and 1/4 cup of water and heat until sauce comes to a simmer; set aside.

3. In the saucepan with the sugar mixture, raise the heat to high to a boil. Boil without stirring until the mixture caramelizes and turns an amber color, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the fish sauce mixture into the sugar mixture. It will bubble vigorously. Stir until smooth; set aside.

4. Return the large pot that you cooked the chicken in to a medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and pepper and saute together, stirring, until shallots wilt. Return the chicken to the pan. Pour the caramel sauce over the chicken and reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer for an addition 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Sprinkle the finished chicken with the fresh green onions and serve with jasmine rice.