China · Shandong

Chicken Thighs Braised with Leeks

Name: Chicken Thighs Braised with Leeks
Prep time: 24 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Shandong
Ingredients: chicken thighs 350 g; leek 100 g; spring onions 30 g; light soy sauce 15 ml; dark soy sauce 5 ml; oyster sauce 10 ml; white sugar 5 g; cooking wine 10 ml; salt 3 g; white pepper 1 g; cooking oil Exact

Boneless chicken thigh meat browned until crisp and glazed, cooked through with thick slices of leek until the whole pan smells of scallions.

38 minutes · 4 servings · Easy

Only two things really matter here: chicken and leek, and everything else is seasoning. Boning the thighs with scissors rather than a knife is both safer and quicker, and cutting the meat into chunks gives surfaces big enough to brown. The leek goes in late, after the chicken has formed a crust, so it softens in the sauce without dissolving.

Ingredients

chicken thighs350 g
leek100 g
spring onions30 g
light soy sauce15 ml
dark soy sauce5 ml
oyster sauce10 ml
white sugar5 g
cooking wine10 ml
salt3 g
white pepper1 g
cooking oilExact

Directions

1
Bone the chicken: push the scissors in from the large end of the thigh, cut the meat away along the bone with a couple of strokes, then pull the bone out whole. This is safer than boning with a knife.
2
Cut the boned thigh meat into 2 to 3 cm chunks.
3
Cut the leek into thick slices, about 0.5 cm, and cut the spring onions into 1 cm lengths.
4
Add 10 ml cooking wine, 5 ml light soy sauce, 2 g salt and 1 g white pepper to the chicken and mix by hand, then marinate for 10 minutes.
5
In a small bowl mix the sauce: 10 ml light soy sauce, 5 ml dark soy sauce, 10 ml oyster sauce and 5 g sugar. Set aside.
6
Heat the pan and add 15 to 20 ml cooking oil.
7
Add the ginger slices and Sichuan peppercorns and fry gently over low heat until the ginger is lightly browned and the peppercorns darken.
8
Lift out the ginger and peppercorns with a slotted spoon and discard them, leaving the flavoured oil.
9
Over medium-high heat, lay the marinated chicken out in a single layer and resist turning it immediately.
10
Wait 2 to 3 minutes to let a crust form underneath, then stir-fry until every side has coloured and the chicken is cooked through.
11
Add the thick leek slices and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1 minute to bring out the leek aroma.
12
Pour in the sauce, toss to combine and cover.
13
Wait 2 minutes so the sauce and the leek aroma soak into the chicken.
14
Uncover, add the spring onion lengths and 2 g toasted white sesame seeds if using, stir-fry for 5 to 10 seconds and serve.

Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.