Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut oil for frying 

3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon dark or light soy sauce (optional)  
1 teaspoon white sugar

6 large cloves garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger  

3 - 6 dried chili peppers (optional)  

2 serrano peppers, crushed (I've been using poblanos instead of these and the bell pepper) 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 stalks celery, diced (optional)

3 - 6 scallions, chopped (optional)

1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled

2 cups sweet Thai basil

1 cucumber, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions

You can always do this without the chicken.

Whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add the garlic, ginger and dried chili peppers (or serrano peppers, if using), stirring quickly. Stir in the chicken and cook for about 10 minutes, trying to get some browning on the chicken before adding the bell pepper, onion, (poblanos, celery and scallions) and oyster sauce mixture; cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Raise heat to high and stir in the chilled rice; stir quickly until the sauce is blended with the rice. Use the back of a spoon to break up any rice sticking together.

Remove from heat and mix in the basil leaves. Garnish with sliced cucumber and cilantro as desired.