Braised Chicken Thigh/Huang Men Ji Recipe

Preparation Direction

• STEP 1.Chop 3 leg and thigh joints of chicken (1 ½ kg) with bone in and skin on, into 1 inch pieces.
• STEP 2. Place chicken in a large mixing bowl and add 2 inches ginger crushed 5 cloves of garlic crushed 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and freshly ground pepper to taste. Mix well to coat chicken. Cover the bowl and allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
• STEP 3.To make the sauce, 2 tbsp soy bean paste, 2 tsp sweet flour sauce, 2 tbsp chinese cooking wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce. Mix well. Use spatula to crush the soybeans in the paste. Keep aside.

Cooking Directions

• STEP 1. Heat the wok till smoking. Add 3 tbsp oil and swirl it around so that most of the surface of the hot wok gets greased.
• STEP 2. Add the marinated 1 ½ kg of chicken pieces bone in with skin cut into 1 inch pieces to the hot wok and spread it out so that most of the pieces are touching the hot surface of the wok.
• STEP 3. Cook till the chicken gets a golden brown colour. Turn them over and allow the other side to brown. Take the chicken out of the wok and keep aside. Scrape the burnt bits off as well. Leave the remaining oil in the wok.
• STEP 4.Turn the heat to low and add 1 ½ tbsp sugar to the wok and stir till the sugar melts and turns brown- red.
• STEP 5.Add the prepared sauce mixture. Once the oil begins to separate from the sauce add 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 black cardamom and stir for a few seconds.
• STEP 6.Then add the chicken back to the wok and mix well to ensure that all the pieces are well coated with the sauce.
• STEP 7.Add 8 to 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms halved and stir. Add 1 ½ cup water.
• STEP 8.Cover and bring it to a boil. Check for seasoning.
• STEP 9.Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• STEP 10. After 20 minutes there should still be a thick sauce.
• STEP 11.At this stage add 2 to 3 hot chilies cut diagonally, 1 onion diced and pieces separated.
• STEP 12.Continue to cook for about 1 minute. The onions will still be half raw and crunchy.
• STEP 13.Braised chicken thigh is ready.Serve with hot steamed rice.

Special Comments

• STEP 1. Soy bean paste is a proprietary paste and sweet flour sauce is a proprietary sauce.
• STEP 2.Using fresh shitake is better than using dry shiitake mushrooms as they absorb the flavour of the gravy well.
• STEP 3.If boneless chicken is being used for this recipe, then add chicken broth instead of water.