(Serves 2-3)
- 1/2 chicken (about 600g), cut to small pieces (you can also use mid-sized drumlettes or chicken thighs)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 slices ginger, stacked together and sliced thinly
- Chinese cooking wine (optional) – Hua Diao Jiu (花雕酒) or Shao Xing Jiu (绍兴酒)
water mixture
- 50ml water mixed with 1 tsp dark soy and 1/2 tsp light soy (stir well)
Directions
1. Heat sesame oil and olive oil, then add ginger strips. Stir fry till fragrant.
2. Add chicken pieces and stir fry for a few minutes.
3. Add water mixture and stir to make sure the chicken pieces are well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Open lid, add more water if the mixture is drying out, use kitchen tongs to flip chicken pieces to the other side, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. When the chicken is cooked, add a splash of Chinese wine and after a few seconds you can smell the wonderful aroma of the wine evaporating. Off the flame. Garnish with coriander and serve with warm steamed rice.
Cooking Notes
1. The simmering time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces – the smaller the pieces, the shorter the cooking time.
2.Instead of Chinese wine, you can also add hard liquor like D.O.M or X.O.
3. This is popular food for women on confinement (one month after childbirth). The confinement recipe usually contains more sesame oil, ginger and wine because it is believed that “heaty” foods are beneficial for women recuperating from childbirth.
4. My mum always add some canned button mushrooms though I don’t really like it. If you like them, you can add them during the last few minutes of simmering.
1. The simmering time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces – the smaller the pieces, the shorter the cooking time.
2.Instead of Chinese wine, you can also add hard liquor like D.O.M or X.O.
3. This is popular food for women on confinement (one month after childbirth). The confinement recipe usually contains more sesame oil, ginger and wine because it is believed that “heaty” foods are beneficial for women recuperating from childbirth.
4. My mum always add some canned button mushrooms though I don’t really like it. If you like them, you can add them during the last few minutes of simmering.
