A homestyle recipe from China
Big plate chicken is a homestyle braised chicken dish that is easy to cook. Last summer, I went to Xinjiang, China where big plate chicken originates and got to experience its authentic taste. I fell in love with this dish for its fragrance, juiciness, flavour, and of course, the satisfaction that comes from eating a whole plate of chicken. Fortunately, a friend invited me to try his version of big plate chicken last Saturday. It tasted great and the whole cooking process was really simple, so I wanted to share his recipe with you.
Ingredients
- 10 chicken thighs, each chopped into 2 pieces, bones in
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 5 whole dried chilies, cut in half
- 1½ centimetre fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
- ½ tablespoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon of Doubanjiang (black bean sauce)
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of cooking wine
- 400 milliliters beer
- Small amount of vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Put the chicken thighs in a pot of boiling water with 2 slices of ginger, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, and 2 Sichuan peppercorns. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and then take the chicken out.
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2. Heat some oil in a pan on high heat for 30 seconds and then switch to low heat. Add dried chilies, star anise, and the rest of the Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add the rest of the sliced ginger, boiled chicken, and the remaining tablespoon of cooking wine and fry for 2 minutes.
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4. Switch to high heat and add the Doubanjiang, chopped potato, and soy sauce, stir-frying for about 1 minute.
5. Add the beer into the pan. When the liquid starts to boil, switch to medium heat. Add onion when a third of the liquid is left in the pan. Keep stirring for about 30 seconds and then switch to low heat.
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6. Add salt to taste until there is about a fifth of the liquid left, stirring for 1 minute.
7. Serve and enjoy!
Photo by Julie Zhang