Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken

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You know how there are some words that just jump right of the page? Or you immediately zero in on it if someone at another table says it in conversation and you lean in to hear what they're saying?

For me, one of those words is caramelized.

Oh heavenly days I LOVE all things caramelized.

I don't mean caramel. Though I'm cool with that, too. I mean when you cook something in such a way that the result is a sweet, nutty, and, well, caramely finish.

Heck, I don't even like onions but I can throw down some caramelized onions! You'd be crazy not to!

So, it's no surprise that this recipe leapt off the screen when I scrolled past it. Caramelized chicken? Oh yes. Imagine a big bowl of sticky sweet and savory chicken and noodles, topped with loads of black pepper. If all Vietnamese food tastes like this, I'll be eating it once a week!

We've talked about Jason's aversion to rice before so instead so I tossed hot cooked rice noodles into the skillet with the chicken and coated it all in the sauce. You could always serve hot cooked rice instead.

We couldn't get enough of this dish - the leftovers were gone before I knew it!

This is another fast healthy weeknight meal - on the table in 30 (or less!).

Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 fresh Thai chiles, halved, or dried red chiles
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces dried wide rice noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, water, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper, and chiles. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add the shallot and cooked over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and the chicken and simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Using tongs, add the cooked rice noodles to the pan and mix well. Make sure all the noodles are coated with the sauce.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with green onions.

Source: adapted from Food & Wine Magazine