Suzhou Braised Chicken Recipes

TEN MINUTE SZECHUAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken and cornstarch into a bag or bowl, and toss to coat. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken pieces and garlic, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Cover, and cook until the chicken pieces are no longer pink inside, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the green onion, and cayenne pepper, cook uncovered for about 2 more minutes. Serve over white rice.

SUZHOU BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Peel the sweet potato and roll-cut diagonally into 1 1/2 inch slices.
• Heat the oil in a wok or deep frypan to 375F or until a piece of scallion green or ginger sizzles noisily and browns quickly when tossed into the oil. Add the chicken and deep-fry for 2 min til golden brown. Remove the chicken to a sauce pan and add the rice wine and salt. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sweet potato and stock and continue simmering, until the chicken is tender.
• If too much liquid is left in the saucepan, reduce by boiling rapidly. Stir the dissolved cornstarch and add to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle with the sesame oil, and serve.

MUSTARD BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together - 1 T oil, 1T thyme, 1-1/2 t marjoram, 1-12 dry mustard. Rub on chicken pieces. Refrigerate chicken for 2 hours to overnight.
• Salt and pepper chicken. Heat oil and brown chicken. Transfer to bowl. Saute onion until tender, add garlic(2min). Add wine, broth, dijon, 1T thyme, 1-1/2 marjoram, and 1/2t rosemary. Bring to boil. Return chicken to pot. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until done. Remove and simmer sauce until thickened. Serve over chicken.

SZECHUAN BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare vegetables, of your own choice, i.e. bok choy, bean sprouts, capsicum, onion, broccoli, asparagus, Chinese leaf, baby corn--a mixture is great. Add the chili, crushed, place to one side.
• Blanche asparagus and broccoli for 2 minutes then add to the other vegetables with the garlic and ginger.
• Toast Szechwan peppercorns in a small dry pan until fragrant, crush and add to the chicken with the five spice powder and enough oil to just coat. Marinade for half an hour,.
• In a cup place the stock, Soya sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sherry, mixing the corn flour with enough water to mix when adding to the sauce.
• Heat wok and add half of the oil. Stir fry the vegetables and place in warm oven. Add remainder of the oil to wok and quickly stir fry the meat for just a minute or two; add the liquid and stir until it thickens.
• Toss the vegetables in and quickly stir.
• Serve separately with noodles of your choice.

PERSIAN SAFFRON-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Place saffron threads into a small bowl and crush them up a bit with a spoon. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot water and stir. Let bloom for about 10 minutes - the water should turn bright yellow/orange. Set aside.
• Season chicken thighs on both sides with about 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear on both sides until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove and place on a plate to the side. Add onion to the same skillet and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add saffron mixture. Season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and freshly cracked pepper. Stir to combine. Return chicken thighs to the skillet, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, flipping thighs halfway through cook time. Season to taste and serve with the sauce.

PORTUGUESE BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and bell pepper; saute until vegetables are softened and sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving drippings in the pot.
• Combine oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and rub on chicken. Add chicken to the pot, raise heat to medium-high, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Stir sausage and vegetable mixture into the pot with wine, broth, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in the centers, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve chicken with orange wedges.

SOY BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the Szechwan peppercorns, chili oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake and brown sugar. Mix to blend, then add chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to marinate.
• Fill a wok about halfway full of oil for deep-frying. Heat to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Reserving marinade, fry chicken a few pieces at a time in the hot oil until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken and set on paper towels to drain.
• Clean out the wok and add reserved marinade. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken pieces to the wok, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, turning the chicken at least once.
• Remove the chicken and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and arrange on a platter lined with lettuce leaves. Spoon sauce over the chicken and garnish with green onion.

CHICKEN THIGH JJIMDAK (KOREAN BRAISED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Combine soy sauce, cooking wine, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, black pepper, and ginger for sauce in a bowl; set aside.
• Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add chicken thighs to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain water, and set chicken aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, skin-side down, in the melted butter. Pour reserved sauce and 2 1/2 cups water over top. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly once it starts boiling, remove lid, and flip chicken. Allow to cook for 15 minutes, turning chicken again halfway through.
• Meanwhile, soak cellophane noodles in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and set noodles aside.
• Add potato, onion, carrots, and chile pepper to the skillet. Cook until all ingredients are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes, stirring everything after 5 minutes and flipping chicken again. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce has desired consistency, 5 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring the sauce and turning the chicken every 2 minutes so it doesn't burn. At the final flip, make sure the chicken is skin-side up.
• Once sauce is almost the desired consistency, mix in drained noodles and green onion. Make sure the chicken is on top of all the ingredients. Cook for 3 more minutes and then turn off the heat. Mix once more and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.