If you ask me to name a dish that defines the Cantonese cuisine, I’d say “Jom Liu” (which I, sadly, don’t know how to write in Chinese). Jom liu isn’t a specific dish. It is a casual term used to classify a group of roast meats commonly found hanging on hooks, on display, at Chinese restaurants. A few items that fall under this category include Char Siu, Crispy Pork Belly, roasted duck, white cut chicken and soy sauce chicken. I’ve shared modernized and simple recipes for Char Siu and Crispy Pork Belly on my blog and YouTube channel, and now, I proudly present to you my EASY recipe for SOY SAUCE CHICKEN! It comes second on my favorite roast meats list, after char siu!
WHAT IS SOY SAUCE CHICKEN (SEE YAO GAI 豉油雞)?
Soy sauce chicken or “see yao gai” is a classic jom liu traditionally made by braising a whole chicken in a braising liquid that includes soy sauce (obviously) and other aromatics. The result is a beautiful whole chicken with glistening, dark brown skin.
HOW IS SOY SAUCE CHICKEN SERVED?
Soy sauce chicken is typically eaten with white rice and paired with sauces such as ginger scallion sauce and/or sweet soy sauce. You may also find them combined with other roast meats over rice or noodles. The whole chicken is cut into bite sized pieces with the bone still intact, which explains the need of a butcher and his chopping block at Chinese restaurants that serve jom liu. Interestingly, “jom” is literally translated to CHOP in Cantonese.
WHAT MAKES MY RECIPE DIFFERENT?
While I love the traditional method of making soy sauce chicken, I’ll be completely honest – I am not a fan of chicken breast, as I often find the cut dry. I frequently drench the breast of soy sauce chicken in ginger scallion sauce to moisten and make the cuts more palatable. For this reason, my recipe for this Cantonese favorite only uses leg quarters, which promises succulence. Using leg quarters rather than a whole chicken also simplifies the process a bit, as there is no need to handle, monitor and transfer a large bird to and from.
I hope you all enjoy my easy soy sauce chicken recipe. Please tag me @rackoflam and #rackoflam on social media if you’ve tried my recipe and share your feedback here or on my YouTube channel!
Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油雞 See Yao Gai) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 wok or large pot
Ingredients
PREPARING THE CHICKEN
- 3 leg quarters (weighing 1 to 1¼lb each)
- 1½ tbsp dark soy sauce
MARINADE
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large thumb of ginger sliced
- 2 stalks scallions tied into a knot
- 3 tbsp rock sugar
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 3½ cups water
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Shao Xing wine
CORN STARCH SLURRY
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Wash and trim off any excess fat or skin on the leg quarters (optional). Pat them dry then place them in a large bowl or plate and coat with dark soy sauce thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade.
- Heat oil in a large wok or pot, over medium-high heat, then add the ginger and scallion and stir fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
- Add the rock sugar, bay leaf and star anise and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add the water, Shao Xing wine, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Close the lid and bring the marinade to a boil.
- Remove the lid, then place the leg quarters into the marinade, skin side down. Pour any remaining dark soy sauce used to marinate the leg quarters into the wok/pot.
- Close the lid, turn the heat down to medium, then cook for 20 minutes. (Cook for less time if you are using smaller leg quarters.)
- After 20 minutes, turn off the fire and allow the leg quarters to sit in the wok/pot for another 30 minutes.
- After soaking for 30 minutes, transfer the leg quarters onto a plate, skin side up, and allow them to cool. Do NOT discard the sauce.
- While the chicken is cooling, add the corn starch and water into a small bowl and blend thoroughly. Turn the fire back on to low, then gradually pour the corn starch slurry into the sauce, while stirring continuously. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, turn off the fire. See Note 1.
- Cut the leg quarters into pieces (optional). Baste the skin with the thickened sauce, use the sauce as a dip for your chicken or drizzle the sauce over your rice. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- When the sauce has cooled, I recommend storing them in a container for use in other dishes or as a drizzle over white rice. It is delicious!
PRODUCTS/INGREDIENTS USED:
- Zojirushi Rice Cooker – https://amzn.to/3b2S1OI
- Wok – https://amzn.to/3xBnq5O
- Cutting Boards – https://amzn.to/2KSyG8p
- Measuring Spoons – https://amzn.to/3bb5YKK
- Squeeze Bottles – https://amzn.to/3tBBN7V
- Chopsticks – https://amzn.to/3u8i5iD
- Tongs – https://amzn.to/3occmVy
- Light Soy Sauce – https://amzn.to/3bfWJJ3
- Dark Soy Sauce – https://amzn.to/3PnHsI5
- Shaoxing Wine – https://amzn.to/2KZOqXp
- Rock Sugar – https://amzn.to/3AytbTw
