Source: Julie Lin’s aunties are her toughest critics
Fragrant Soy Roast Chicken
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 200 ml Shaoxing rice wine
- 150 ml light soy sauce
- 75 ml dark soy sauce
- 150 g palm sugar
- 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp MSG
- 15 cloves
- 5 cm ginger cut into 10 5mm thick slices
- 8 spring onions cut into 7cm pieces and smashed flat
- 5 star anise
- 1.5 kg chicken legs
Glaze
- 100 ml dark soy sauce
- 4 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large deep pot, combine the Shaoxing rice wine, both soy sauces, the sugar, sea salt, MSG, and 2.5 litres of water. Stir until all the sugar crystals dissolve. Add the cloves, ginger slices, spring onions and star anise to the pot, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over a low heat, ensuring the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Carefully lower the chicken legs into the pot, making sure they're fully submerged in the poaching liquor. If you need to add more water to cover the chicken , that's fine at this stage as the liquor will be reduced later to create a sauce.
- Simmer over the lowest heat until the chicken is fully cooked through – use a digital probe thermometer to check the chicken has reached at least 75C inside. This usually takes about 40 – 60 minutes over a low heat, but the cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken legs.
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Remove the chicken legs from the poaching liquor and lay flat on a baking tray. Gently pat dry with kitchen paper and place in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the skin has gone crispy and golden.
- To make the glaze for the poaching liquor, mix the dark soy sauce, honey and cornflour and simmer until it has reduced by half.
- Once cooked, brush the chicken with the vegetable oil and soy-honey glaze, making sure it's well coated.
