How are you, Foodies!!!
I'm back again to share an awesome Chinese recipe. This is one of my favorite authentic Chinese dishes. You can usually see this served in Chinese restaurants and at home, especially on special occasions.
In this recipe, you don't need freshly butchered chicken, but of course, the fresh one is the best. For Chicken soy sauce, you can use frozen chicken of good quality.
The process is also easy, but the waiting takes a longer time. We'll be using the poaching technique. This involves submerging the chicken into soy sauce and poaching for certain hours. This would give a tasty and silky texture to the chicken.
Let's start.
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken (fresh or frozen)
Aromatics:
30g Garlic cloves
60g Ginger chunks
3 Star anise
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Cardamom pods
1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
Spring onions
350g Rock sugar
Sauces:
600ml light soy sauce
100ml dark soy sauce
200ml mirin or Chinese rice wine
Cooking oil/sesame oil for coating once the chicken is cooked.
For the dipping sauce: (this is optional. I prefer eating the soy sauce chicken without any additional dipping sauce)
200g spring onions
1tsp fine sea salt
2tbsp cooking oil
I found this recipe from scmp.com. You can check the site for more information and better instructions.
For poaching the chicken, you can use a large deep pot with a cover, enough to submerge the whole chicken. I use a big wok here since we have no other larger pot.
Procedures:
- In a large pot, combine 3 cups of water and sauces, then bring to a boil.
- Add the aromatics and rock sugar. Bring to a boil then lower the fire. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
Let's do the poaching procedure:
- Once sugar is dissolved, submerge the chicken into the pot, breast side up. The chicken should at least, be 3/4 covered with the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn off the fire. Cover the pot and let the chicken poach for 15 to 20 minutes.
After 15 to 20 minutes, turn on the fire and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn it off, then poach for another 15 to 20 minutes.
After the procedure above, turn the chicken to the other side, breast side down. Then do the poaching process again. Turn on the fire, let the sauce boil, then poach for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do this procedure twice.
After poaching the other side of the chicken twice, remove the lid and turn the chicken to the other side again, breast side up, and rest it in the sauce for about an hour.
After another hour of poaching, remove the chicken from the pot then put it in a bowl or rack to let the sauce drain. Then coat the chicken with some oil. I prefer using sesame oil here to add more aroma to the chicken. You can also use canola and other cooking oil.
Prepare the dipping sauce while waiting. Just mix the finely chopped spring onions with fine salt. Heat oil, then pour it into the spring onions. Some are cooking the spring onions on low fire and adding a pinch of salt after. Some are adding grated ginger to the dipping sauce. It depends on your preference. But I like eating the chicken soy sauce without any additional dipping sauce.
Let the chicken cool before serving.
And here it is!!
Looks yummy, isn't it?
The dark soy sauce and rock sugar give a caramel color to the chicken. The aromatics and sesame oil just make the chicken more enticing. After chopping the chicken, everyone's hands just dive into it. So I have no photo of it 😂😂.
Why don't you try it. So easy and yummy.
