Two-Way Chicken

4 servings

Dark, glazed and bittersweet, this is another marvel of simple cooking
from Southeast Asia. You can stop after step 2 and have a good Thai-style
dish, although we recommend proceeding to step 3, which yields a terrific
Vietnamese-style chicken dish. Either way, serve with rice. Adapted from
"The Best Recipes in the World," by Mark Bittman (Broadway).

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger root
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon corn oil or other neutral vegetable oil
Lime wedges for serving (optional)
Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)

In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce with half each of the garlic, the
ginger and the crushed red pepper flakes. Add the chicken and toss well to
coat. (The bowl may be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.) In a
large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. After a
minute or so, when the oil is hot, remove the chicken from its marinade
(discarding any excess marinade) and add it, skin side down, to the
skillet. Brown it well on both sides, rotating and turning the pieces as
necessary, about 10 minutes (the soy sauce will help it brown faster than
usual). Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, turning as
necessary, about 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through,
transferring the pieces to a plate as they finish cooking. At this point,
the chicken can be served hot, warm or at room temperature with the lime
wedges, if desired, and garnished with cilantro. Or proceed to the next
step.

Reduce the heat to low and add the sugar and the remaining garlic, ginger
and crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet, along with the water.
Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the
sugar melts and the sauce thickens and becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. Add
the nam pla and any juices that have accumulated around the chicken. Cook
for another minute, then return the chicken to the pan and cook, turning
the pieces in the sauce a few times until they are nicely glazed and the
chicken is hot. Transfer to individual plates and spoon the sauce on top,
garnish with cilantro and serve.

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