Braised Chicken & Vegetables

Photo courtesy of noobcook.com

Braising might be my new addiction. Good stuff!

I found this great recipe through tastespotting and made a few changes (in green), and it came out wonderful. It definitely needs to be served with rice to soak up all the flavor! Serves 2.


Note: We didn't have fennel seed (for the 5 spice), sugar, scallion, or ginger and it still came out fabulous.
Ingredients

• 500g chicken thigh, chopped to smaller pieces
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut to bite-sized chunks
• 1 stalk of negi (Japanese scallion) or 2 stalks of spring onions, sliced
• 200g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 1 small bell pepper, sliced
• 150ml (2/3 cup) water (adjust accordingly to how much gravy you want)
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (adjust accordingly to how dark you like the sauce to be)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (adjust accordingly to how salty you like)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Maggi seasoning
• 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder 五香粉, which can be made if you don't have it (below)
• 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground
• 1-2 tsp Star anise, ground (or 8 whole, then ground)
• 1/2 tsp clove, ground
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tbsp fennel seed, ground
• 2 to 4 small rock sugar cubes
• 3 ginger slices
• 5 garlic cloves, bruised*
• Optional: Cooked rice (to serve)

Directions

1. Heat sesame oil in wok, then add chicken pieces. Stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add water, carrots, mushrooms, scallions, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, 5 spice powder, ginger and garlic. Stir well. Cover with lid and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Using kitchen tongs or spatula, flip the chicken pieces over so that they can absorb the braising liquid. Add rock sugar for sweetness and a beautiful glazed finish. Simmer with lid closed for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

*Note: If you don't know what a "bruised" garlic clove is, it's when you lay a wide chopping knife flat on top of the garlic clove and whack it hard enough that it's kinda mushy and soft. I learned a new term today.

Source: noobcook.com