Gai Pad Khing (Ginger Chicken)

Posted by WingsFan91 at recipegoldmine.com 11/14/2001 6:28 pm

This is one of a a pair of recipes that I'll post today that cause some confusion because of their similar names.

gai = chicken
pad = stir-fried
khing = ginger

So this dish is chicken stir-fried in ginger. This is a simple, quick meal that could equally be made with pork or beef, or even shrimp, or for the vegetarians, tofu marinated in a mixture of dark soy and fish sauce for flavor.

It is cooked in a hot wok - the peanut oil used for cooking should be at the smoking point. However if this makes you a little nervous it doesn't suffer from being cooked a little cooler. If you do use a lower temperature, then the garlic should be sauteed in the oil before the chicken is added, to bring out the flavor. At high temperature this would result in burnt (and very unpalatable) garlic flakes in the food, so you add the garlic with the chicken, not before it.

Because of the high temperatures you will need to move swiftly from step to step. Therefore I strongly recommend that you put the ingredients on plates ready to add them - you won't have time to measure ingredients once things start to move.

3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup chicken, cut into bite- size pieces
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
A pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 or 3 red chiles (prik ki nu), slivered
3 tablespoons scallion/green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Ground prik thai (black pepper)
Optionally you can add a cup of sweet chiles (prik chi fa
    in Thai - a variety of jalapeno)
The bulbs of 3/4 scallions, and some cilantro/coriander
    leaves for garnish

Mix the fish sauce, soy and oyster sauce ready for use.

Bring the oil to the smoking point in an adequately large wok, and add the chicken and garlic, and stir fry until the chicken begins to change color (this is quite quick, so don't overcook).

Add the sauce and stir until it returns to a bubbling consistency, then add the remaining ingredients, and stir until the chicken is cooked.

Serve with steamed rice, and garnish.

The recipe for pork is identical, beef if it is used should be marinated in a mixture of 2 tablespoons of whiskey and the fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce, which should be retained after marinating to be added to the cooking.

Special thanks to Muoi Khuntilanont.