This great Vietnamese dish was in the September 2012 issue of Food and Wine. And you know, this was one of those delicious examples of really good food that looks nothing like the recipe’s photo. I glazed and glazed and just could not get that really great sticky coating on this chicken. It was amazing, but with a runny sauce. I also used chicken breasts instead of legs, and fewer pieces–but I still made the full amount of sauce, I was too lazy to adjust it. So I know that played a large part, but still. Really good.

Caramelized Ginger Chicken with Sticky Rice (adapted from original recipe)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts **the original recipe calls for legs, but as I’ve mentioned again and again Adam’s not a fan of dark meat.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
4 medium shallots, very finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
3 Thai chiles, very finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced pickled daikon **I didn’t use this, I never found it
Sticky rice **I didn’t follow the original recipe for the rice. I made regular jasmine rice and added the scallion oil to it. But not the original, more complicated rice recipe.

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