Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Oil

Name: Cantonese Soy Sauce Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Oil
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chinese & Cantonese
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (4 to 4½ lb); 1 cup soy sauce; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; ½ cup Shaoxing wine; a 2-inch piece ginger, half sliced, half finely grated; 6 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 bunch green onions; 1½ lb baby bok choy, halved; 2 cups jasmine rice; ⅓ cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 2 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 4 tbsp oil; ½ tsp salt; 4 cups water

DinnerChinese & Cantonese80 minServes 6875 kcal46 g protein

Photo: Dennis Wong from Hong Kong, Hong Kong · CC BY 2.0 · source

See yau gai, the glossy mahogany chicken hanging in every Cantonese BBQ shop window, gently poached in a spiced soy and sugar braise. Serve it with rice, garlicky bok choy and a sizzling ginger-scallion oil.

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Ingredients

1 whole chicken (4 to 4½ lb)
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
½ cup Shaoxing wine
a 2-inch piece ginger, half sliced, half finely grated
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bunch green onions
1½ lb baby bok choy, halved
2 cups jasmine rice

From your pantry: ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4 tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt, 4 cups water.

Instructions

In a pot just big enough to hold the chicken, simmer the soy, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, sesame oil, sliced ginger, garlic, half the green onions, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves and 4 cups water until the sugar dissolves.
Lower the chicken in breast-side up; the liquid should cover most of it. Bring back to a boil, skim off any foam, then cover and simmer gently on low for 25 minutes, turning the chicken once.
Turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the covered pot for 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Meanwhile, cook the rice.
For the ginger-scallion oil, finely chop the remaining green onions and put them in a heatproof bowl with the grated ginger and salt. Heat 3 tbsp oil until shimmering and pour it over; it will sizzle.
Stir-fry the bok choy in 1 tbsp oil over high heat with a splash of the braising liquid until bright and tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Lift out the chicken, let it rest 5 minutes, then carve into pieces. Spoon a little braising liquid over the chicken and serve with rice, bok choy and the ginger-scallion oil.

Tip: Strain and freeze the braising liquid: it becomes a master stock that gets better each time you poach in it. Top it up with a little fresh soy and sugar the next time.