Caramel-Braised Chicken With Ginger Is a Vietnamese Home Cooking Classic

Braising the chicken creates ample flavor and tenderness. Beth Fuller/TCA

By Lan Lam From America’s Test Kitchen

This classic of Vietnamese home cooking derives its flavors primarily from the combination of fish sauce and a burnt caramel syrup called nuoc mau. We made a small batch of the syrup by cooking sugar in oil until the sugar bubbled and darkened to the color of soy sauce.

We stopped the cooking by adding the aromatics—ginger, shallot, and garlic—and cooking them until they had softened. We deboned chicken thighs and cut them into small pieces to make the dish easy to eat, and we preserved the skin to infuse the sauce with collagen.

Braising the chicken in fish sauce, the nuoc mau, and coconut water seasons it thoroughly and renders it tender. We used taste to determine when the braise was finished: The thin sauce should taste heavily seasoned by itself but perfectly calibrated for drizzling on rice.

Ga Kho Gung (Vietnamese Caramel-Braised Chicken With Ginger)

Serves 4

• 1 (2 3/4-inch) piece ginger, peeled, divided
• 1 shallot, sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or alternative
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut water
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Slice 2 inches ginger into matchsticks. Smash remaining 3/4 inch ginger. Place all ginger in a bowl with shallot and garlic.

2. Place one chicken thigh skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, trim excess skin and fat, leaving enough skin to cover meat. Cut a slit along the length of the thigh bone to expose the bone. Using the tip of the knife, cut/scrape meat from bone. Slip knife under bone to separate bone from meat. Discard bone and trim any remaining cartilage from thigh. Keeping thigh skin side down, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, leaving as much skin attached as possible. Repeat with remaining thighs.

3. Place sugar in a medium saucepan and shake to spread into an even layer. Add oil and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until sugar begins to change color, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is the color of honey, 15 to 30 seconds. (Oil will begin to smoke.) Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar bubbles vigorously and is the color of soy sauce, about 1 minute longer.

4. Immediately add ginger mixture and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add coconut water and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces by half, 25 to 30 minutes. (Sauce should taste heavily seasoned, suitable for serving with rice.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro, if using. Serve.

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