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soy sauce chicken recipe
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Soy Sauce Chicken

Easy Cantonese soy braised chicken that will leave you stunned how easy it is to make restaurant flavour soy sauce chicken in your own kitchen. It is a soft and gentle process, with warm aroma like cinnamon and star anise to life any spirits. A well known Cantonese dish, and a favourite among families. Best serve with warm rice on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1.4 kg Whole Chicken
  • 1 TBSP oil
  • 100 g sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1-2 star anise
  • 2-3 dried bay leaves
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 bunches spring onions
  • 3-4 slices ginger
  • 1.5 cups dark soy sauce
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 TBSP Chinese rice wine

Marinate for Chicken

  • 2 TSP sea salt
  • 1 TBSP dark soy sauce

Chicken Glaze

  • 2 TBSP maltose / honey
  • 1 TBSP hot water

Garnish

  • 1 green onion thinly sliced the green parts

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp of oil in medium heat. Fry the garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, and bay leaf until aromatic - 3 minutes.
  • Immediately add in the water, 1.5 cups of dark soy sauce, spring onion, sugar, and bring everything to a boil.
  • When the water is boiling, carefully put the whole chicken in, and give it a couple rotations in the soy sauce water. At least 5-7 rotations. Make sure you're not splashing the water around.
  • Carefully place the chicken with breast side down and cover the pot in the lowest fire setting. You do not want the water to be bubbling, but a very gentle simmer. Cook the chicken for 20 minutes, but rotate it every 10 minutes.
  • After, turn the heat back high for 10 minutes, and turn off the heat with the lid on. Let the chicken sit in the water for 15 minutes.
  • Once done, carefully take the chicken out without breaking the skin. I like to use tongs and chop sticks. Set the chicken on a large plate and let it cool for 5 minutes. Brush the chicken with Chinese wine and maltose / honey.
  • Once the chicken is completely cooled, chop it into pieces and garnish with the green parts of green onion. Serve with warm rice and some of the soy sauce gravy and garnish with green onion shavings.