Soy Sauce Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce (for the marinade)
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 40g rock sugar
• 2 spring onions
• 5 slices ginger
• 3 small shallots
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 50ml dark soy sauce
• 50ml light soy sauce (low sodium)
• 50ml Shaoxing wine
• 500ml water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

• Cover the chicken legs with boiling water for 30 seconds until the skin tightens, then remove and pat dry. Transfer to a clean bowl and marinate with the 4 tbsp dark soy and the ground white pepper.
• Bash the spring onions with the back of a knife and slice lengthways into thirds. Roughly chop the ginger, garlic and shallots.
• On medium heat, add the vegetable oil and rock sugar to a wok, breaking the sugar into small pieces, and stir until lightly caramelised.
• Add the spring onion, ginger, garlic and shallot and fry for 3 minutes (add a touch of water if needed).
• Add the chicken legs skin side down and leave untouched for 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.
• Once boiling, turn the heat to low, cover and braise for 35 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.
• Remove the chicken to cool and strain out the vegetables and spices. Mix 2 tbsp of the sauce with the 2 tbsp cornstarch, stir back into the sauce and cook until thickened, then remove from the heat.
• Shred the chicken and serve over steamed rice with the sauce spooned over.

Recipe approved by mama @mamajoleneyu. From xiensscran on Instagram.