PAN FRIED SWEET SAUCE CHICKEN

Delicious, yummy pan fried and braised chicken whole legs.  Another method is by baking if you are preparing a bigger portion.   Since my non stick wok is big enough for 3 pieces chicken whole leg, I opted to pan fry and braise.  Much easier as I do not have to bake and baste with the sauce several times through  baking.

These yummy succulent chicken whole legs are not overly sweet or savoury.  Just nice to serve with mashed potatoes and some coleslaw [recipe here].

Recipe adapted from Y Tower Gourment Food

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces chicken whole legs - fats removed but skin intact

Marinade

1 tsp each of grated garlic and black pepper powder

2 tsp each of sugar and cooking wine

1/4 tsp salt

Sauce Ingredients [Combined]

2 tbsp honey

2-3 tbsp orange juice

3 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp each grated garlic and ginger

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1. Make a few slits on the meat side of the chicken whole leg.  Marinate them with marinade.  Mix well and leave in fridge for an hour.
2. Grease a non stick wok with oil, pan fry the chicken pieces [skin side first] until brown or nicely coloured.   Flip over to fry the meat side.  Cover to ensure even cooking.
3. Pour sauce over chicken pieces. Make sure the meat is well coated with the sauce.  Add 50-100 ml water.   Leave to braise for 1-2 minutes.  
4. Flip over, cover and continue to cook until meat is tender and sauce is reduced to thick consistency [takes about 20 minutes].  Can add more water if chicken is not tender.
5. Dish up to serve with rice or boiled potatoes and salad.
   
   
   
   
   

NAM YEE CHICKEN CHAR SIEW

I believe this is one of the easiest and simplest char siew to make.  The marinade ingredients are common seasoning ingredients found in most kitchens.  This is also a quick cook char siew as the most tender part of the chicken breast called 'hanging tenders' is used.  There are only 2 pieces of these 'hanging tenders' in a chicken breast and it is inexpensive.

You can choose to roast them or just pan fry these pieces.   I would choose pan fry if it is only a small portion.   

This chicken char siew is very tender, tasty and aromatic. Looks tempting and it is delicious. It only need several minutes to cook.  The tastes is just perfect, not too sweet or savoury.  Most probably, I will cook this often since it is so easy and delicious.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

6 pieces 'hanging tenders' of the chicken breast - keep whole

some sliced cucumbers

Marinade

1 piece red fermented beancurd 'nam yee'

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

dash of pepper

2 tsp cooking wine

1 tsp each light soy sauce, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp honey [add to marinade when boiling]

1. Remove the small bones and thin membrane from the hanging tenders.
2. Add marinade [except honey] to marinate the chicken meat, mix well and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.
3. Heat a non stick pan with some oil, arrange the pieces of chicken without the marinade in the pan.  Let them fry until cooked before flipping over to fry the other side  until brown and aromatic.
4. Dish up onto serving plate lined with cucumber slices.
5. Remove excess oil from the pan, pour in the marinade, add in honey and 2-3 tbsp water.  Bring to a rolling boil or until sauce is of running consistency.
6. Pour over char siew, can garnish with some spring onions. Serve with rice or noodles.
   
   
   
   
   

GOLDEN FUNGUS WITH CHICKEN SOUP

Have you seen Golden Fungus or ate it before?   I happened to come across these dried golden fungus at the hypermarket the other while looking for dried stuff like black fungus, beans and mushrooms.  Out of curiosity, I bought some of these [25 gram].  A kilo cost about RM85.00.    I believe these can be used in soup, braised or stir fried dishes or sweet dessert.  The easiest and fastest, perhaps is to cook soup with it.

According to Wikipedia, this golden fungus is bland and flavourless and is edible. Although some have claimed the fungus to be inedible or merely "non-poisonous", most other sources agree that it is edible but flavourless. The gelatinous to rubbery consistency lends texture to soups.  In China, the fungus is used by vegetarians to prepare "an immunomodulating cooling soup with lotus seed, lily bulbs, red dates etc.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

15 gm golden fungus - soaked to plump up, drained

1 large chicken whole leg [skin and fats removed] - cut bite size pieces

6-7 red dates

3-4 pips garlic

800 ml water

Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt to taste

dash of chicken stock granules

dash of pepper

1. Soak golden fungus until soft and plump up, break into smaller pieces.
2. Blanch chicken pieces with hot boiling water, drained.
3. Bring water to boil in a soup pot or claypot.  Add in golden fungus, garlic and red dates.  Bring to boil for 5-10 minutes before adding the chicken pieces.  If using free range chicken, all ingredients can be added at the same time.
4. Once the soup boils, lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning.
6. Serve hot.
   
   

EZCR#129 - SAVOURY SWEET CHICKEN WINGS

This braised chicken wings taste savoury sweet with some basic seasoning ingredients easily available in most kitchens.  The preparation and cooking method is simple, quick and easy, yet the dish looks tempting and delicious.

 If you can get the butcher to tidy up the wings, preparing this dish is a breeze.    I got my regular butcher to cut off the end tip of the wings, removed the excess skin and fats of the drumlets  when I bought the wings from him.  This saves me much time.

Ingredients

6 chicken wings

1 stalk spring onions –cut ½ inch sections [keep some to add last]

1 red chilli – seeded and cut diamond shape

A few slices of ginger

200 ml water

Seasoning

2 tbsp each of tomato sauce, light soy sauce and cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1. Marinate chicken wings with some light soy sauce and pepper for 20 minutes.
2. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a non stick pan.  Swirl the oil and put the chicken wings to fry until brown.  Cover to cook on both sides. Push aside.
3. Add in ginger slices and spring onions until aromatic. Pour in the sauce, add red chilli.
4. Stir fry to coat well before adding water.
5. Bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium low heat until chicken wings are tender and cooked.
6. Remove cover and continue to cook till sauce is thick. Add salt to taste if necessary. Lastly, add in the remaining spring onions.
7. Dish up and serve.
   
   
   
   
   

CHICKEN CUBES IN BLACK PEPPER SAUCE

A simple one dish that suffice for a meal with rice.  Great to add in all the capsicums, tomatoes and onions.  All blends well with the fragrant black pepper sauce that is a little spicy but good.   

The spiciness of the black pepper sauce is acceptable to me and so appetising over rice.  The chicken cubes are tender but not dry.  You can actually deep fried them but I prefer to pan fry them till brown.  Do not over fry the other ingredients if you like them to stay crunchy.

Ingredients

1/2 chicken breast - cubed

Marinade - 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper and 1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 red capsicum - cubed

1/2 green capsicum - cubed

1 tomato - cubed

1 large onion - cubed

1-2 tbsp oil

Seasoning [combined]

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar 

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

50 ml water

1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

1. Marinate chicken cubes with marinade.  Chill in fridge until required, while you assemble the other ingredients.
2. Heat a non stick pan with oil, fry chicken cubes until brown on all sides.  
3. Push aside, add in the cut vegetables.  Stir to mix well 
4. Pour in the seasoning ingredients.  Continue to fry for 5-10 minutes until all ingredients are cooked through.
5. Thicken with cornstarch water.
6. Dish up to serve with rice.
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#126 - FRAGRANT YAM WITH CHICKEN

Chinese style cooking, simple and easy with only a handful of basic ingredients and seasoning, yet the food tastes good.  

This is another of such dishes with only 2 main ingredients [fragrant yam and chicken].  The cooking method is also made simple from deep frying to pan frying.  If you are cooking a bigger portion, you can choose deep frying but for home cooking, I still prefers pan frying as I need not use too much oil.  Moreover, I kept the skin intact, no oil is need when you fry them in a non stick pan.

I love the fragrance of the ginger, spring onions  which goes well the seasoning of this dish.  The fried yam pieces and chicken are both tasty in the thick sauce. 

Ingredients

1 large deboned chicken whole leg [with skin, fats removed] - cut bite size pieces

150-200 gm yam - cut thick strips or cubed

1 stalk spring onions

4-5 slices of ginger

Marinade - some light soy sauce, wine, dash of pepper and cornstarch

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine and dash of pepper

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan, pan fry yam pieces over medium heat until brown.  Dish up.
2. Using the same pan, pan fry the chicken pieces, skin side down until golden brown, flip over to fry the meat side until lightly crispy.  Dish up.
3. Remove excess oil, using the same pan, saute ginger and spring onions until aromatic.  Add in the fried ingredients, pour in the seasoning.
4. Stir to mix all ingredients well before adding enough water to cover ingredients.
5. Bring to boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes until  yam and chicken pieces are tender and sauce reduced.
6. Dish up to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves.