Bourbon Chicken and Vegetable Bowls
Tender fried chicken breast strips enveloped in a sweet bourbon sauce. Served with rice, crisp radishes and cucumbers and stir-fried carrots.
Equipment
- deep frying thermometer
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1½ cups water
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
For Deep-Frying the Chicken:
- 3 cups vegetable oil
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced in half inch strips
For the Stir Fry:
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (reserved from the deep-frying )
- 3 dried chilis or ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. sliced ginger
- 1 sliced scallion
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. bourbon
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. dark soy
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp. water
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
For the Carrots:
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
- 1 tsp. each soy sauce and sugar
For the Radishes and Cucumbers:
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- 1 cup cucumbers, sliced
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. sugar
For the Garnishes:
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
Instructions
- Begin by making the rice: In a three quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and salt and cover and simmer it for 16 minutes. Remove it from the stove and let it sit covered for 10 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- Also, prepare the cucumbers and radishes: Sprinkle each with a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt and let sit ten minutes. Squeeze each dry. Stir in one tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and one teaspoon of sugar to each vegetable.
- Also, cook the carrots: In a skillet, heat the oil and cook the carrots with the soy sauce and sugar, on medium heat, for a few minutes, just until they're crisp tender. Cover to keep them warm.
- Also, make the Bourbon Chicken: Heat a Dutch Oven or large pot with an inch and a half of the vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 300 degrees. In four batches, fry the chicken just until it turns white. Drain each batch in a colander set over a bowl. In a large skillet, on medium heat, heat two tablespoons of oil from frying the chicken. Add the ginger, scallion, and brown sugar and stir until everything is combined. Add all the chicken to the pan, along with the bourbon, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Cook for thirty seconds. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Cook until thick and syrupy for about five minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixed with water and the sesame oil.
- To serve: Put some rice in four bowls. Top the rice with some chicken and sauce. Also, add the cucumbers, carrots, and radishes. Sprinkle the bowls with the scallions.
Nutrition
Calories: 525kcal
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