Mix the chicken legs with the fish sauce and sugar; let it rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
1.3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar
If you’re using large chili flakes or whole chili peppers, run them through a coffee grinder to turn them into finer flakes.
3-4 teaspoons chili flakes or chili powder
Make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, Golden Mountain sauce, water and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar.
1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon Golden Mountain sauce or soy sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of water
Heat the wok over high heat until very hot, then add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the chicken, spread it into a layer and let it fry for about 2 minutes until the underside is golden brown. Flip the chicken so that most of the pieces are turned (don’t worry about every piece), and let them cook on the other side for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked.
2 tablespoons of neutral oil
Remove the chicken from the pan, leaving all the oil and juices.
In the same wok, with the heat still off, add the garlic. Turn the heat to medium and sauté the garlic until it starts to turn golden. Add the chilli flakes and stir for about 30 seconds until the chillies smell toasty and are slightly browned, adding more oil if they look dry.
8 cloves of garlic
Once the chilies are toasted, immediately add the sauce (do this quickly because the chilies burn quickly) and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to cook for 15-30 seconds until it has reduced slightly.
Add the chicken back in, along with any collected juices, and toss the chicken in the sauce until all the pieces are coated. If a lot of sauce accumulates, continue cooking to dry it out a bit. There will be a little oil, but the majority of the sauce should be reduced enough to coat the chicken pieces.
Plate and garnish with chopped green onions, cilantro or a few Thai basil leaves, if desired. Enjoy with jasmine rice!
chopped green onions, cilantro or Thai basil leaves
