Western cooks too often go too light on fresh herbs, treating them more as garnish than flavoring. We prefer the Thai approach, which uses ingredients such as basil, mint and cilantro by the fistful.
Take Thailand’s chicken and basil stir-fry — gai pad krapow — which piles on basil, adding sweetness balanced by just a touch of herbal bitterness. We loved the simplicity of this popular street food, which sometimes is served with an egg on top.
In our version in the book “Milk Street Tuesday Nights,” which limits recipes to 45 minutes or less, we double down on the basil, using at two different times for two different flavors. Since this recipe calls for a skillet rather than a wok, the cooking is broken into two steps.
Stir-Fried Chicken With Snap Peas and Basil
Start to finish: 30 minutes. Servings: 4
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce, divided
Ground white pepper
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus 3 cups torn and lightly packed
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, halved on the bias
8 scallions, white and light green parts finely chopped, dark green tops cut into 1-inch pieces