Asian Caramelized Chicken - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons shallots or 2 tablespoons sweet onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic, minced (or more to your taste)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 star anise (optional)
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Preparation

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Open chicken thighs to lie flat in the pan and brown on both sides, in batches if necessary. Set chicken aside.
Remove all but 1 Tbsp of fat from the pan, then add remaining ingredients except peanuts and cilantro.
Stir and simmer until the sauce becomes thickened and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Taste carefully (it's very hot!) and add more garlic and vinegar if necessary to your taste.
Return the chicken to the pan, coat with syrup and cook until chicken is cooked through. If the glaze becomes too thick add a small amount of water and stir. Remove star anise if using.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro if you like and serve.