Black Pepper Chicken

This was a recipe we found courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow on goop...and she found courtesy of Charles Phan in Food and Wine magazine.  I'm a big fan of Chinese food - from actual quality dishes to the indistinguishable gunk served on buffet lines, but since discovering this dish not only have we stopped ordering take out but I've lost any urge to do so.  Trust me, if you are a fellow lover of Chinese cuisine this dish will take over Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Spicy Garlic Pork, or whatever crap you currently think is your favorite Chinese dish.  As an added bonus you will be finished eating in less time then it takes a delivery driver to find you.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons grated garlic
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons course black pepper
• 2 fresh chile peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and chiles.  Set aside.
2. In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat and cook the shallots until softened and slightly browned.  
3. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 1 minute.
4. Add the sugar mixture and cook over high heat until the chicken is cooked through and the mixture has caramelized.  Add the peanuts as the mixture begins to caramelize.  (Have patience with this step, at times the caramelization process takes longer then it feels like it should but eventually the runny mixture will turn into thick, sticky, delicious sauce.)