This has to be the easiest way to cook chicken as you set and forget. The dressing is in two parts and it sounds a bit bizarre, but it tastes fantastic. The chicken is also cooked in a strange way, but you will have to trust me it actually cooks and tastes wonderful.

I first tasted this chicken when my Aunty Jen made it for Christmas one year. She wanted to try something different and it was a hit!

If you are making this conventionally you will need a big stock pot, about 10 – 12 litres.

Ingredients

1 x 1.6 to 2kg size chicken (preferably organic)

Stock

6 litres of Water (TM 1000g)

3 cups of Shao Xing Wine (Chinese cooking wine about $2 in a Chinese shop) (TM500g)

1 Bunch of Green Shallots (roughly chopped)

10 Cloves of Garlic (bruised) (TM 50g)

1 Cup of Ginger Shards (TM 40g)

4 Tablespoons of Seas Salt (TM 20g)

Dressing

1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce (65g) I use wheat free Tamari

1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil (5g)

1 – 2 Large Red Chillies (depending on how hot you want it)

1 Thumb Size of Peeled Ginger (20g)

1 Teaspoon of White Sugar (5g)

Pinch of Group White Pepper

1/4 cup of Peanut Oil (65g)

Fresh coriander  and crushed peanuts to serve (optional)

Method – Chicken

1. Place all stock ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes then turn down to a gentle simmer.

2. Lower chicken, breast side down into simmering stock and poach for 20 minutes 1.6kg – 30 minutes 2kg. (If your chicken is bigger than 2 kg you may need to gauge how long you simmer for and also leave it in the hot/warm stock for longer). It is important that the stock is NOT boiling, just a slight ripple every now and again.

3. After the allotted time, turn off heat, place lid securely on and leave in the pot for 3 hours… DO NOT OPEN THE LID TO CHECK  – you will be tempted, but don’t 🙂

4. After 3 hours, gentle remove chicken and allow to slightly cool on  a plate. (The stock in the pot may be frozen and used again, just remove green shallots). Break chicken apart as desire. I usually break it into wings, legs, thighs and then remove the breast and cut it in half. You could choose to cut it up the Chinese way but you would need a large cleaver.

5. Arrange the chicken on a heat proof plate and dress according to the dressing method.

Method – Dressing

1. In a saucepan combine soy sauce, sesame oil, finely chopped red chilled, grated ginger, white sugar and pepper, or you could put them all into a blender/food processor until finely chopped and combined.

2 Gently heat ingredients, until sugar is dissolved and favours are combined.

3. In another pot, heat peanut oil until smoking hot, remove from heat and pour over the cut chicken. The chicken should bubble and crackle as it hits the wet skin. ( I know it is weird, but just think of it like a dressing, oil and vinegar… it is just separate).

4. Then pour the soy sauce/chilli mixture over the top of the hot chicken

5. Sprinkle with fresh coriander/parsley, some crushed peanuts if you like or a bit of extra chopped chilli and serve!

 THERMOMIX METHOD

This recipe was made in the TM31 but can be made exactly the same way in the TM5 on manual

Please note that the Thermomix measurements are in brackets next to the conventional ingredients.

1. Place garlic and ginger into mixing bowl and chop 3 seconds/speed 7, scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat.

2. Pour in 1000g of water, 500g of Shao – Hsing wine, and 20g of Sea Salt.

The ginger and garlic are there, just most of it is still at the bottom!

3. Thoroughly wet a piece of baking paper and place in the Varoma (making sure there is still space for the steam to get through. Then place roughly chopped green shallots into the cavity of the chicken and then put the chicken in Varoma onto the wet baking paper.

4. Place the Varoma onto the Thermomix and cook a 1.6kg chicken for 60 minutes/Varoma/speed 2. (after 60 minutes you may need to check the water, but it should still be fine).  After the stock has been checked but on for another 30 minutes/Varoma/speed 2 for a 1.6kg chicken or another 60 minutes for a 2kg chicken. The chicken is ready when you move the leg and it nearly falls off the bone.

5. When cooked, remove Varoma and set aside and remove cooking liquid from the mixing bowl. You can freeze this stock and use it again, so you don’t have to get all the ingredients.

6. Break chicken apart as desire. (remove shallots from the chicken cavity) I usually break it into wings, legs, thighs and then remove the breast and cut it in half. You could choose to cut it up the Chinese way but you would need a large cleaver.

The flesh will be slightly pink (as it has been steamed) but cooked through!

7. Add all dressing ingredients except Peanut Oil and chop  5 seconds/speed 7, scrape down bowl and repeat. Then sauté ingredients 2 minutes/Varoma/speed 2.

8. While dressing is cooking in the mixing bowl (on the stove), heat peanut oil until smoking hot, remove from heat and pour over the cut chicken. The chicken should bubble and crackle as it hits the wet skin. (I know it is weird, but just think of it like a dressing, oil and vinegar… it is just separate).

9. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the top of the hot chicken.

10. Sprinkle with fresh coriander, some crushed peanuts if you like, or a bit of extra chopped chilli and serve!

I hope you enjoy this simple easy and delicious way to cook chicken. If you are not using the Thermomix method, you don’t have to get the chicken out after 3 hours… You could leave it in the stock for longer if you are out and about for the day.

I love that you can even make it in the morning, go out for the day… come home make the dressing, a fresh salad and dinner is ready!

Don’t forget… I love it when you pop in and say hi, so please do!

Enjoy Irresponsibly

Liz x

Elizabeth Connolly

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I have been cooking since I can remember. I am a Thermomix consultant, so now (whenever possible) try to give you Conventional AND Thermomix methods for the recipes. I like to share tips on how to save money and how making food from scratch isn't really that hard (especially with a Thermomix). If you have any questions about the Thermomix or cooking/food in general please email me as I'm happy to chat.
Liz xx
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