Onoviet Recipe

Prepare and marinate chicken

Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and pat dry. In a bowl combine minced lemongrass, minced garlic, minced shallot, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken and massage marinade into the meat so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours (longer will deepen flavor).

Cook the chicken

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade). Sear thighs 3–4 minutes per side until well browned. Reduce heat to medium and pour reserved marinade into the pan; cook another 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and sauce is slightly reduced and glossy. Alternatively, grill over medium-high heat 4–6 minutes per side until cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice or chop into bite-sized pieces.

Cook jasmine rice

Rinse 1 cup jasmine rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. Combine rinsed rice and 1 1/4 cups water in a small pot with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer 12–15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Quick-pickle carrots and daikon

While rice cooks, place julienned carrot and daikon in a small bowl. Stir together 3 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt until dissolved, then pour over vegetables. Toss and let sit 10–15 minutes to quick-pickle while other components finish.

Thinly slice cucumber and scallions. Roughly chop cilantro. If you like, toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Keep garnishes ready to assemble the bowl.

Whisk together 4 tablespoons warm water, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and the optional sliced chili until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust balance of salty/sour/sweet. This will serve as both a drizzle for the bowl and a dipping sauce.

Divide the cooked jasmine rice between two bowls (about 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving if making 2 servings; adjust for your chosen servings). Arrange sliced chicken over the rice, add the quick-pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber slices, scallions and cilantro. Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons of the nuoc cham sauce over each bowl and squeeze a lime wedge to finish. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds if using.

Serve hot. Leftover chicken can be refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat gently to retain juiciness.