The goal of this recipe is to establish a framework for a home-style "roasted chicken" dish, allowing for minor variations based on this formula. This recipe is also written for future reference. Dishes like braised chicken in a clay pot and braised chicken with chestnuts, made using this recipe, are my personal favorites! 😁 This recipe uses the savory flavor of the sauce to enhance the chicken's tenderness, and uses various spices to subtly adjust the final flavor (e.g., for braised chicken in a clay pot, emphasize the aroma by adding more Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies; for braised chicken with chestnuts, highlight the sweetness of the chestnuts by using less dried chilies and no Sichuan peppercorns). When using this recipe, consider your desired flavor profile and make appropriate adjustments.
Materials
Steps to make the universal recipe for roast chicken
Prepare the ingredients, spices, and sauce. A special note about the sauce: the cooking wine is just cheap Shaoxing wine; you might as well use a better quality one. I used lychee wine my wife bought. Sweetness is essential; the savory flavor of the chicken needs a touch of sweetness to complement it.
If you think the chicken pieces are too big, you can chop them into smaller pieces. Or, you can roughly chop the chicken pieces a few times (without cutting them open) to help them absorb the flavor. (Source: Lao Fan Gu's "Chestnut Braised Chicken")
Heat a wok with a generous amount of oil. Add the chicken and sear briefly until one side has a slightly charred crust. Then stir-fry until the chicken is glossy and golden brown.
Add scallions, ginger, and garlic, and fry until fragrant.
Add the spices and fry until fragrant. If your recipe calls for adding a sauce (like fermented bean paste) at this step, add it here as well.
Pour the sauce around the edge of the pan and stir-fry evenly. You can also add any other ingredients and stir-fry briefly.
Add boiling water (cold water is fine too) to cover the ingredients and start simmering. After the water boils, turn to medium heat and simmer for 25 minutes, then start reducing the sauce (if making braised chicken, place flatbreads on top at this time). Simmer until the sauce coats the chicken pieces.
It's done! Enjoy! 😋
Tips for the universal recipe of roast chicken
There's no need to add a lot of spices; the simplest and most practical approach is best. I don't recommend omitting the sweetness. Dried shiitake mushrooms are really fragrant. There's no need for complicated steps in everyday cooking.
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