Asian Jalapeño Potato Chicken (GF / DF)

Do y'all ever find that one meal that you could eat every day? We did and this one is it! Craving take-out but you don't want all that MSG, gluten, and other just "ick" feelings that can come with Chinese take-out? We made this the other night and both said "It's just like ordering out!". I'm very proud of this meal and I'm excited to share it with you!

A few technical thoughts:

DUTCH OVEN: I make ours in the Dutch oven we have. If you are experienced with a wok or have a wok set up this would be an enjoyable meal to make in it! We have a wok but our stovetop is not wok friendly, we usually use a propane grille for our wok (it's our go-to for camping!). If you have a Dutch oven or something of that sort, that'll be your best bet! 

LIQUID AMINOS: Being gluten-free, you can't have traditional soy sauce as it contains wheat. Liquid aminos (or any aminos - coconut is another option) are the best substitute and taste just like soy sauce. We always have a big bottle in our fridge, and if we're out...well, we get to the store pretty quickly! Liquid aminos are still made out of soybeans, what makes it different is how the soybeans are treated. Once treated with an acidic solution, the amino acids are then released. If you are following a soy-free diet, I recommend the coconut aminos as they do not contain any soybeans. The coconut aminos are made out of the blossom sap (nectar). 

CHINESE COOKING WINE / GIN / VANILLA: When I first discovered the idea of this meal it called for Chinese cooking wine. I didn't have any and didn't desire to purchase any. Part of my goal in this homemaking journey is to do it as cheaply and efficiently as possible. I first substituted the cooking wine with vanilla, after doing some research to find a substitute I found that vanilla could work. My husband then made the meal another night and looked up another substitute, gin. We've enjoyed using the gin over vanilla as it can work in deglazing the Dutch oven. The measurement I have provided is roughly what I use since I add it in as I stir fry. 

FISH SAUCE: This is the perfect condiment to bring in that umami flavor without adding any MSG. We always keep a bottle in our fridge for how frequently we make Asian dishes. If you follow a vegetarian diet, well first off this meal in general probably won't work for you, but I would use soy sauce or liquid aminos. Did you know that fish sauce can take up to two years to ferment? It was documented in China around 2300 years ago? 

I hope these thoughts are helpful and interesting. Now, let's get to what you all came here for without further ado! The recipe!

Ingredients

For the chicken: 

1lb of chicken thighs (diced as well as deboned + skinned, we're going for a "nugget")

Oil for frying (about an inch deep) *we use coconut oil 

1/3 cup of cornstarch

1/3 cup of flour

Seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, Meat Church, etc. Decide this with your heart!)

For the sauce: 

1 oz gin (or Chinese cooking wine or 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract)

1/2 cup of liquid aminos

6 tbsp brown sugar 

Dash of red pepper flakes

Dash of fish sauce

For the assembly: 

3-4 potatoes peeled + cubed

1 bell pepper loosely chopped

1/2 white onion loosely chopped

3-4 jalapeños cut (or Thai chilies)

Honey

white rice

Instructions

1. In your dutch oven add the coconut oil. (melted oil should be about an inch deep in the pot) You'll want it to heat up until you can place a wooden utensil/chopstick in and bubbles form around the wood. 

2. Toss your diced chicken thighs in the cornstarch, flour, and spices. 

3. Fry chicken in oil. When done set aside. You will stir-fry this chicken after it fries. Make sure the chicken is cooked through.

4. In the same oil (freshen up if oil is not worth frying in) fry the potatoes. I like to toss my potatoes in some spices. Fry potatoes until golden. Set aside. 

5. Get rid of excess oil except for a small amount for sauteing. 

6. Deglaze your pot using a dash of gin and add in bells, onions, and jalapeños. Cook down. Add in the rest of the gin. 

7. In a separate bowl combine; liquid aminos, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and fish sauce.

8. Pour a quarter of the sauce into the veggies and let coat. 

9. Add in potatoes + chicken.

10. Pour in the remainder of your sauce and cook until everything is hot and cooked through.

11. Drizzle honey over the top and mix in. The amount is based on preference or desired sweet-spicy taste for you and your family. 

12. While cooking prepare white rice in whatever way works best for you. (we use the instant pot setting it to the rice setting. This takes us about 20 min)

13. Serve over rice and enjoy! 

I hope this meal brings you as many "dance in your chair/sighs of delight" as it brings us! We love it! 

As always, adapt to what you need! Cooking isn't rocket science, taste as you go and make it unique to you and your family! 

Love y'all.