I am the HR Manager in church and I also serve as a Cell Group leader in ET Zone. My passions are cooking, exploring new places with my family, and taking pictures with my (iPhone) camera!
I started cooking when my eldest son, now 6, started eating solid foods. I wanted to learn cooking because I wanted my kids to eat healthy, wholesome home-cooked food. Above and beyond that, it gives me great satisfaction to see my family enjoying the food I cook!
My eldest son, Julien, loves chicken. Fried chicken, chicken soup, stewed or braised chicken … anything with chicken! So I would like to share the recipe for this dish—Braised Soya Sauce Chicken—that is very easy to prepare, and yet, super delicious. It is my personal favorite childhood food as well! It is my go-to recipe when I am rushing for time.
I have adapted it from a cooking blog, Smoky Wok [Hong Kong Style Soy Sauce Chicken Recipe], but it’s tweaked to taste more like my mum’s version. : )
Braised Soya Sauce Chicken
22 chicken wings (I usually get the frozen 2 kg pack from the supermarket)
*Hardboiled eggs (optional)
Marinade
1.5 tsp sea salt
1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Sauce
4.5 tbsp canola oil
8 cloves of garlic, smashed whole and skin on
8 round slices of ginger
1 1/8 cup light soya sauce (use a good brand like Kwong Cheong Thye, available at supermarkets)
¾ cup dark soya sauce (I also use the Kwong Cheong Thye brand)
1 handful of white pepper corns (placed in a small pouch to prevent scattering)
1.5 pieces of star anise
4½ cup water
1-2 thumb sized pieces of rock sugar
*I will usually use a fork to poke ‘holes’ all around the hardboiled eggs so that the braising sauce can seep into the eggs.
Method
Wash and clean the chicken wings. Marinade them with the salt and Shaoxing wine. Keep aside and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Pour the oil into a heated deep pot over medium fire. When the oil is hot, lower the fire and add garlic and ginger. Fry until fragrant then add light soya sauce, dark soya sauce and water. Stir and mix the liquids evenly. Add the pouch of pepper corns and star anise and turn the fire up to medium high.
Once the sauce boils, add the chicken wings. Close the pot and wait for it to boil again. Once it boils, lower the fire to a simmer, and give the chicken wings a stir. You may add the hardboiled eggs at this point. Simmer for another at least 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is soft. Finally, add the rock sugar to taste and it is done!
Serve this hot over a steaming bowl of rice, or you may prepare plain bee hoon or noodles and drench it with the braising sauce for a delicious and easy 1-dish meal. This braised dish actually taste even better when it is kept overnight and that is why I always prefer to cook an extra large portion at one time!
