taste makers

Break out of your dinner rut with the seriously tasty yet straightforward dishes in Susanna Hoffman and Victoria wise’s new globetrotting primer, Bold: A Cookbook of Big Flavors.

Peanut-Crusted Chicken With southeast Asian dipping sauce Makes 16 Pieces

oil, to grease the baking sheet

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg

¼ cup water

¾ cup salted roasted peanuts, finely ground but not pulverized  

16 chicken drumettes southeast ascian Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Mix together the flour and salt on a plate. In a wide bowl or dish, whisk together the egg and water. spread the peanuts on a separate large plate.

3. Dust the chicken with the flour, turning to coat all around. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, transfer to the plate with the peanuts and turn to coat all over.

4. arrange the pieces on the prepared baking sheet so they don’t touch one another, and

bake until the peanut coating is golden and almost crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

turn over the pieces and continue baking until golden and crunchy on the top, about 12 minutes more.

5. while the chicken pieces are cooking, make the sauce.

6. transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter. gather up any peanuts left on the baking

sheet and scatter them, along with the basil, over the top.

serve warm or at room temperature, with the dipping sauce on the side. southeast Asian

dipping sauce

Makes aBout 1 Cup

 ½ cup fish sauce, preferably thai

2 tablespoons brown rice Vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped small fresh chile, red or green, including seeds

2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves

Place the fish sauce, rice vinegar, water, lime juice, sugar, garlic and chile in a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add the basil just before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator overnight without basil added. Nutrition score per serving:

117 calories, 8g fat (2g saturated), 7g protein, 5g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 896mg sodium

All Fitness  _____ Taste makers