Braised Whole Chicken in Soy Sauce

Braised Whole Chicken in Soy Sauce

　　　Braised Whole Chicken in Soy Sauce is a traditional and historic dish from the Jining region. As autumn is considered the prime season for making this dish, the main ingredient must be a tender chicken from the current year. This dish was one of the signature recipes of Wen Taihe, a historically renowned restaurant in Jining, and today, Zhai Yanzhong, a special-grade chef at Jining Restaurant, is particularly skilled in preparing it.

　　Braised Whole Chicken in Soy Sauce is one of the most distinctive dishes in the Shandong cuisine of Chinese culinary tradition. The dish primarily uses peanuts as a key ingredient and is mainly prepared through braising.

　　[Cooking Method] Stewing/Braising

　　[Flavor] Salty and savory umami

　　[Suitable Meal] Lunch | Dinner

　　[Texture & Taste] The dish has a date-red hue, with tender and falling-off-the-bone chicken, retaining its original rich flavors. It offers a delicious balance of saltiness and savoriness, with a deep and aromatic taste.

　　[Food Incompatibility] Starch (fava bean): Fava beans should not be consumed with snails.

　　Ingredients

　　　　Main Ingredient: 750g young chicken

　　Side Ingredient: 15g starch (fava bean)

　　Seasonings: 20g soy sauce, 15g ginger, 10g scallion, 3g salt, 5g star anise, 10g yellow wine, 5g Sichuan peppercorn, 20g yellow bean paste, 80g peanut oil

　　Preparation Process

　　　　1. Clean and butcher the young chicken, trim off the tip of the beak and claws, then debone the whole chicken and wash it before placing it on a plate.

　　2. Mix 20g of soy sauce and 10g of yellow bean paste evenly and rub it onto the chicken. Let it marinate.

　　3. Place a wok over medium heat, add peanut oil, and when the oil is about 70% hot, place the chicken skin-side down into the wok. Deep-fry until the chicken’s skin turns golden brown, then remove and drain the oil.

　　4. Leave some oil in the wok, add scallion segments, ginger slices, and star anise. When the scallions and ginger turn yellow, add the yellow bean paste, soy sauce, 150ml of clear broth, and salt. Then put the chicken back into the wok and continue braising.

　　5. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, and when it is fully cooked, remove it from the wok, drain the liquid, place the chicken skin-side down in a large bowl, and pour the braising broth over it.

　　6. Steam the chicken in a steamer over high heat for 20 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the steamer, drain the broth, and then invert the chicken back into the large bowl.

　　7. Pour the remaining broth into the wok, bring to a boil over medium heat, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, add sesame oil and Sichuan peppercorn oil, then pour the sauce over the chicken to finish.

　　7. Pour the stock into a wok, bring to a boil over medium heat, thicken with a cornstarch slurry to make a light sauce, add soy sauce and prickly ash oil, then pour over the chicken to serve.