Fragrant Thai-Style Free Range Chicken Stir-Fry With Rice

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then bash your lemongrass with a rolling pin

Add your basmati rice, bashed lemongrass and 300ml [390ml] [600ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked, then remove from the heat and cover until serving

Meanwhile, deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and dice

Peel and finely slice your shallot[s], chop your red chilli[es] roughly and peel your garlic

Add the garlic and chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to a pestle & mortar and bash into small rough pieces

Tip: Don't have a pestle & mortar? Pulse in a food processor!

Chop your free range chicken breast portion[s] into very small bite-sized pieces

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the sliced shallot and diced pepper with the bashed garlic & chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the chopped free range chicken and cook for a further 4 min

Add your hoisin sauce, fish sauce, 1/2 tbsp [3/4 tbsp] [1 tbsp] sugar and 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] water

Cook for 2-3 min or until the sauce begins to reduce and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Meanwhile, heat a separate large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-low heat

Once hot, add your black and white sesame seeds, crack your egg[s] into the pan and cook, covered, for 2 min or until done to your liking – this is your sesame fried egg

Once done, remove the pan from the heat

Pick your basil leaves from their stalks, discard the stalks

Add the basil leaves to the pan with the chicken and give everything a good mix up – this is your fragrant Thai-style free range chicken stir-fry