Thai basil chicken

Cut each thigh in half, turn 90 degrees and chop twice into six chunky pieces.

Spread the meat on a sheet tray and freeze about 10 minutes to firm it up.

Rough chop the shallots large so some crunch survives the pan.

Smash and mince the garlic; pressed garlic burns easily on high heat.

Grate the unpeeled ginger finely to a pulp on a microplane.

Cut the green beans into two inch lengths.

Stack the basil leaves and chiffonade them, a thin slice or julienne; rough chopping bruises basil and makes it taste like wet grass.

Grind the whole pound of chilled meat in the food processor on high for about 15 seconds to a coarse medium grind.

Preheat the largest pan over high heat, keeping a nonstick under 450F.

Add 20 to 25 g of peanut oil and, once shimmering, the green beans with a pinch of salt.

Stir often for three to four minutes until halfway to tender and charred outside, then hold them in a bowl.

Add more oil, the ground chicken and a pinch of salt, and saute breaking it up with a wooden spoon for about three minutes to a good sear.

Add the shallots and cook on high about two minutes for a hard roast.

Add the garlic, ginger and chili flakes and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant and just colouring.

Return the green beans and add all the spinach, in two phases if the pan is small, until mostly wilted.

Stir the soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock and brown sugar together to dissolve.

Add the sauce and cook it down 20 to 30 seconds until almost dry, leaving a little sauciness.

Off the heat, fold in all 20 g of the chiffonaded basil and stir until wilted.

Heat a 10 inch nonstick over medium high with a splash of peanut oil and drop in an egg; after about a minute baste the residual oil over any unset white and cook until the edges are crisp.

Plate about a cup of rice, a few scoops of the chicken and top with the fried egg.