So I'm poking around in a Chinese cookbook, wishing that a Chinese recipe would actually turn out to taste like something other than a poor attempt at authenticity. And I come across this recipe for a stewed chicken. Easy enough. No wok necessary. And you know what? This recipe turns out the most delicately flavored chicken I may have ever had. No overpowering rose flavor. Not super salty. Just really delicious in a court-of-the-Chinese-emperor kind of way.
Stewed Chicken, Li Kou Fu Style
From China, The Beautiful Cookbook by Kevin Sinclair
1 (1½-pound) Cornish hen
4 green onions
Cilantro (garnish)
Seasoning:
⅔ cup dark mushroom soy sauce
⅓ cup Mei Kuei Lu (rose-scented Chinese rice wine)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Pinch of salt
Rinse the chicken and wipe dry. Place the green onions in the cavity and put into a deep, small casserole. Mix the seasoning ingredients together. Pour a little into the cavity, then pour the remainder over the chicken.
Cover the pot tightly and place in a water bath to prevent the chicken from coming into direct contact with the heat and burning. Simmer the chicken very gently until tender, about 1¼ hours, turning once or twice.
Lift out the chicken, cut into serving pieces and arrange on a plate. Pour the sauce over and garnish with cilantro.
Makes 2 servings
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