Red-Cooked Chicken Recipe - Cooking Index
Red-Cooked Chicken Recipe - Cooking Index
| 1 | Chicken | |
| 2 cups | 474ml | Water |
| 2 cups | 474ml | Soy sauce |
| 1/2 cup | 118ml | White wine |
| 2 tablespoons | 30ml | Sugar |
| 5 | Ginger root slices - fresh | |
| 2 | Green onions - sliced | |
| 1 1/2 | Star anise | |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 2.5ml | Ground cinnamon |
| 1 teaspoon | 5ml | Sesame oil |
1. Remove any excess fat from the cavity and neck end of the chicken. Clean the chicken thoroughly inside and out, and be sure to remove the kidneys, the soft red tissues tucked in against the backbone near the tail end. Rinse the bird well inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the wing tips if you like; otherwise tuck them behind the back.
2. Choose a covered casserole or saucepan that will just hold the chicken. Combine the water, soy sauce, wine, sugar (use less sugar if using a sweet wine), ginger, green onions, star anise, and cinnamon in the pan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Slowly lower the chicken into the pan, breast side down. As the liquid returns to the boil, baste the exposed part of the chicken with the liquid to start coloring the skin. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes, basting occasionally.
4. After 20 minutes, turn the chicken over, being careful not to tear the breast skin. (The easiest way to turn the bird is with two wooden spoons, one inside the cavity, one outside.) Cook another 30 minutes, basting every few minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest in the sauce for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Baste frequently with the sauce to ensure a deep, even color, and keep the pan covered to keep in the heat.
6. Lift chicken out of pot and drain it thoroughly. Serve hot, lukewarm, or cold. For an attractive shine, rub or brush the skin with the optional sesame oil. Strain the sauce and refrigerate or freeze for future use.
Serves 3 to 4 as a main dish. 6 or more as part of a multi-course meal.
To reuse the sauce: Add half the amount of sugar and aromatics called for in the original recipe plus 1/2 cup soy sauce to the leftover sauce each time you reuse it. This keeps the balance of flavors about the same, and the fresh soy sauce gives the right color to the skin.
Source:
the California Culinary Academy
Average rating:
Unrated, please add a rating
Submit your rating:
Click a star to rate this recipe.