Soy Sauce Chicken

Soy sauce chicken used to be very popular in Chinese restaurants. Strangely enough, we hardly find it on Chinese restaurant menus nowadays. This is a perfect weeknight dish which can be prepared quickly and whilst it is cooking, you can prepare accompanying vegetable and steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
4 Chicken legs

4 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 Teaspoon ground white pepper
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil 

40 Gr. rock sugar or 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 Spring onions cut in large pieces
5 Slices ginger
3 Small shallots cut in thick slices
2 Garlic cloves crushed
1 cinnamon stick

5 cloves

2 star anise

1/4 Cup dark Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup light Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Shaoxing wine
1 1/2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Preparation
Marinate the chicken legs (which I alway cut in two pieces) with the dark soy sauce and white pepper for about an hour)
Add the chicken legs to a large bowl and cover with boiling water for 30 seconds until the skin tightens. Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, bash your spring onions with the back of your knife and slice lengthways into three parts. Roughly chop the ginger, garlic and shallot.

On medium heat, add the vegetable oil and rock sugar to a wok, break into small pieces and stir until lightly caramelised.
Add the spring onion, ginger, garlic and shallot to the wok and fry for about 3 minutes. Add a little water if needed.
Add the chicken legs skin side down and cook for about 2 minutes. Pour in the marinade, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine and water along with the cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick.

Bring to a boil and once it, turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and braise for 35 mins, turning the chicken half way through.
Remove the chicken to cool. Strain the vegetables and spices, add 2 tbsp of the sauce to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, mix well then add back into the sauce. Cook for a few minutes and the sauce will start to thicken. Once the sauce has thickened remove from the heat.

Shred the chicken, serve with a bowl of steamed rice and steamed vegetable of your choice.