Soy Sauce Chicken

Method

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1. Bring all the master stock ingredients to a simmer in a deep pot just wide enough to hold the chicken, and cook 20 minutes.

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2. Lower the chicken in breast down. The stock should nearly cover it.

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3. Simmer very gently 20 minutes, turning the bird every 10 minutes so it colours evenly.

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4. Cover, take the pot off the heat and steep the chicken 40 minutes, turning it once.

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5. Check the thigh juices run clear, then lift the chicken out and brush it with the sesame oil.

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6. Ladle 250 ml of the stock into a small pan and reduce it by half to a pouring sauce.

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7. Chop the chicken through the bone into 2 cm pieces and reassemble it on the plate.

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8. Pour the reduced sauce over and finish with spring onion and coriander.

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9. Strain the remaining stock, chill it, lift off the fat and freeze it for next time.

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Chef’s Tips

• A narrow pot. A wide one needs twice the soy sauce.
• Turn it every ten minutes so the colour is even.
• Keep the master stock. It improves each time you use it.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed rice
• Blanched greens
• Ginger scallion oil

Storage & Reheating

The chicken refrigerates 3 days. The strained stock freezes indefinitely.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.