This was originally a classic Cantonese restaurant dish, flavored with five-spice powder, but the Nonya take on it, as is typical, includes a large, bruised knob of galangal instead. It is a very good dish to serve when entertaining, as it can be cooked up to a day in advance and simply reheated. Always serve it with a sharp chili, garlic and vinegar dip and plenty of sliced cucumber and rice.
Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.3 kg/3 lb)
- 25 g/1 oz sugar
- 90 ml/6 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 25 g/1 oz galangal, bruised
- 1.5 liters/2½ pints/6¼ cups water
- 10 ml/2 teaspoons salt
- 15 ml/1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- Steamed rice and sliced cucumber, to serve
Method:
Remove any excess fat from the chicken, wash it and pat dry. In a dry, heavy pan, heat the sugar until frothy and caramelized to a rich, dark brown color. Add the chicken and turn it several times in the pan until well sealed.
Add the soy sauce, galangal and water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, turning several times so the chicken is evenly cooked.
Add salt and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside. Increase the heat and boil until the sauce is well reduced and glossy. Blend the cornstarch with a little water and add to the sauce to thicken it.
Chop the chicken into bitesize pieces and serve with rice and sliced cucumber, with the sauce on the side.