Maple and soy sauce chicken

A perennially adored Cantonese dish that is so ridiculously easy to make, there’s never any need to go and buy it as takeaway. Adjust the aromatics as you wish, adding more, or less, spices, sugar, wine and soy, according to your preference. The best thing about a master stock? You never have to throw it out. Simply strain it then cool and freeze it after each use. Thaw it and boil it well before using again, adding extra water as needed (water will evaporate along the way, every time you use it). The flavour of it only gets better and you can reuse it for years.

Credit: China Squirrel

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 125 ml (½ cup) dark soy sauce
• 375 ml (1 ½ cups) light soy sauce
• 375 ml (1 ½ cups) Shaoxing wine
• 375 ml (1 ½ cups) maple syrup
• 3 star anise
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves of garlic, bruised
• 6-8 thin slices ginger
• 1 x 1.8 kg chicken
• water, as required

Standing time 90 minutes

Instructions

Combine the soy sauces, wine and maple syrup in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken and liquid snugly.  Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, place the star anise and fennel seeds in a piece of muslin and tie securely. Add to the simmering mixture with the cinnamon, garlic and ginger then add the chicken, breast side down. Add enough water to just cover the chicken, pushing it down to completely submerge it.

Bring the liquid nearly to a simmer, cover the pan then cook chicken over a very low heat for 1 hour. Don’t allow the liquid to simmer hard (bubbles should only just be breaking the surface) or the chicken could toughen. Try not to lift the lid too often.

Remove the pan from the heat then stand it at room temperature for 90 minutes or until nearly cooled- the chicken will continue to cook as the liquid cools.

Remove the chicken from the liquid, taking care not to break the skin. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids. Using a sharp cleaver, cut the chicken through the bone into bite size slices then serve, drizzled with a little of the cooking liquid.  

Serve this with steamed rice and steamed green vegetables for an easy, but spectacular, dinner.

Photography, styling and food preparation by china squirrel.

This recipe is part of our 10 ways with maple syrup column. View previous 10 ways with… columns and recipes.

When she doesn’t have her head in the pantry cupboard, Leanne Kitchen finds time to photograph food and write cookbooks. You can view her work on her website.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.