Soy-Braised Chicken with Pickled Ginger Onions
1 hour
Serves: 4
“Red-cooking” is a Chinese method for braising meats in soy sauce. This simple way to braise bone-in thighs is a balance of salty and sweet, with the aromatics of anise and cinnamon. Serve tangy-sweet red onions and steamed jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- ONIONS
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 thin slices fresh gingerroot, cut into matchsticks or thin slivers
- 3/4 cup roasted garlic seasoned rice vinegar
- CHICKEN
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 to 3 whole star anise or 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
- 3 strips orange peel
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 (20 ounces) Just Bare Bone-In Thighs, skin removed
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- Toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro sprigs, or spicy microgreens, if desired
Instructions
- Mix onions, gingerroot, and rice vinegar in medium bowl. Let stand until chicken is ready, stirring occasionally.
- Mix water, soy sauce, sugar, sherry, star anise, orange peel, and cinnamon sticks in a Dutch oven. Add chicken; bring to a simmer. Cook about 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink near the bone. Cook to internal temp of 165°F. Transfer chicken to a shallow dish.
- Remove star anise and cinnamon from cooking sauce. Whisk in cornstarch mixture; cook over medium heat about 1 minute or until thickened.
- Serve chicken with sauce and pickled onions, sprinkled with sesame seeds.