Beijing Chicken Recipes

BEIJING CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Place in large, plastic bag.
• Combine teriyaki sauce, sherry, ginger, fennel, orange peel and honey; pour over chicken. Press air out of bag. Tie or seal top securely.
• Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Reserving marinade, remove chicken and place on rack of broiler pan.
• Heat reserved marinade to boiling, let boil 5 minutes so it will be safe for basting.
• Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat source, about 40 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning pieces over and basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Steps:

• To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.
• Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.

BEIJING CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients in "add first" category.
• Add enough water to cover chicken and heat on high burner setting until boiling; reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour (leaving it on longer, up to an additional hour, is fine.).
• Remove chicken pieces from pot and strain broth to remove fat.
• Strip chicken off the bones; discard skin and bones and return chicken meat to soup pot along with "add last" ingredients.
• Cook uncovered over medium heat 5-7 minutes (or until pot stickers are cooked) and serve hot.

PEKING-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pare the zest from the orange in thick strips then mix with the soy sauce, sherry and fivespice powder in a large food bag. Bash the garlic cloves and ginger with the back of a knife to bruise them, then add to the bag and give everything a good mix. Put the chicken in the bag, rub the marinade all over the flesh then leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hrs, overnight ideally.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Remove the chicken from the marinade (keep it for later). Halve the orange and put both halves inside the cavity along with the bashed ginger and garlic from the marinade. With the chicken sitting on a rack in the sink, pour a kettleful of boiling water over it. Pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Set the chicken on its wire rack over a roasting tray and roast for 50 mins per kg or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
• Strain the marinade into a pan along with the honey. Bring up to the boil then simmer for a couple of mins. Just before serving, turn the oven up as high as it will go. Brush some of the marinade all over the chicken. Return to the oven and cook until the chicken is crisp and browned. This will only take a couple of mins. Leave to rest, uncovered, for 5 mins. Serve with the remaining warmed marinade, some plain rice and bok choi or spinach stirfried with a little garlic and oyster sauce.