Chicken Clay Pot

Method5 steps · about 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak cloud ear fungus and dried shiitake mushrooms (1 oz) in separate bowls of warm water until fully softened, weighing down the shiitake with a small plate if needed. Cut green-onion whites (1 oz) lengthwise into thin strips. Cut ginger (1 oz), shallot (1 oz) and garlic (1/2 oz) into small triangular pieces. Thinly slice Chinese sausage (1) diagonally. Drain shiitake. Drain cloud ear, trim tough bases and tear into bite-size pieces.

   Uses 1/4 oz dried cloud ear fungus · 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms · 1 oz green-onion whites · 1 oz ginger · 1 oz shallot · 1/2 oz garlic · 1 Chinese sausage link · Warm water for soaking shiitake mushrooms and cloud ear fungus separately

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Debone the chicken drumsticks (2 lb), keeping their meat and reserving bones for stock. Cut each drumstick’s boneless meat into 4 smaller pieces. Alternatively, have the drumsticks cut bone-in into 3–4 similarly sized pieces; this route may need longer to cook. Mix the separate marinade oyster sauce, marinade light soy sauce, 1 tbsp marinade wine, 1 tbsp marinade cornstarch and white pepper (0.33 tsp), then coat the chicken. Keep refrigerated until cooking.

   Uses 2 lb chicken drumsticks, deboned for the main route · 1 tbsp Kikkoman oyster sauce for marinade · 1 tbsp Kikkoman light soy sauce for marinade · 1 tbsp cooking wine for marinade · 1 tbsp cornstarch for marinade · 0.33 tsp white pepper for marinade

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the separate sauce oyster sauce, 2 tsp sauce light soy, 1/2 tsp dark soy, 1 tbsp sauce wine, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sauce sugar. In a separate bowl stir the 1 tsp slurry cornstarch with 3 tsp slurry water until smooth.

   Uses 1 tbsp Kikkoman oyster sauce for sauce · 2 tsp Kikkoman light soy sauce for sauce · 1/2 tsp Kikkoman dark soy sauce for sauce · 1 tbsp cooking wine for sauce · 1 tsp salt for sauce · 1 tsp sugar for sauce · 1 tsp cornstarch for slurry · 3 tsp water for slurry

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Reserve 0.3 tbsp clean oil for another use, leaving three source doses of 0.9 tbsp each. Heat the wok, add the first 0.9 tbsp oil and reduce to low. Cook prepared ginger 10–15 seconds, then garlic and shallot 15–20 seconds until fragrant. Increase to medium, spread marinated chicken in a layer and sear about 1 minute; flip and cook 30–40 seconds. Make room in the centre, add drained shiitake and the second 0.9 tbsp oil, and cook mushrooms about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir everything together 20–30 seconds, add prepared sausage, cloud ear and the separate 1 tbsp wok wine, then stir 15–20 seconds. Stir in the prepared sauce and 1/2 cup hot water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and cook over medium heat for 1 1/2–2 minutes as the source guide, continuing until chicken reaches 74°C/165°F in its centre; bone-in pieces may need longer. Reduce to low, uncover and taste the cooked sauce. Add the optional extra sugar gradually if desired, up to 1/2 tsp, reserving unused sugar. Stir the prepared slurry again and pour into the centre while stirring; cook until the sauce thickens. Add sesame oil and prepared green-onion whites, and stir together.

   1 1/2–2-minute covered phase; check chicken reaches 74°C · 2 minUses Oil for wok: 0.9 tbsp for aromatics and 0.9 tbsp for mushrooms · Prepared ginger garlic and shallot · Marinated chicken · Drained shiitake · Prepared sausage and cloud ear · 1 tbsp cooking wine for wok cooking · Prepared sauce · 1/2 cup hot water for sauce

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Use a clay pot suitable for stovetop cooking and warm it gently over low heat following its care instructions. Add the final 0.9 tbsp oil. When hot, transfer the cooked wok contents into the clay pot and cover. Increase heat as the pot permits; after about 30–40 seconds, when steam appears, drizzle the separate final 1 tbsp cooking wine around the lid edges as the source describes. Cook about 30 seconds more until bubbling, then turn off heat. Serve from the hot pot on a heatproof support.

   Uses Oil for clay pot: final 0.9 tbsp; 0.3 tbsp supply remains reserved · Cooked chicken mushroom sausage and sauce · 1 tbsp cooking wine for clay-pot finishing