Spicy Sour Rice Wine Steamed Chicken

This post comes to us courtesy of cookbook author and television personality Ching He Huang.

 

Spicy Sour Rice Wine Steamed Chicken
I created this dish with its distinctive gold and red colour because they are the luckiest colours in Chinese symbolism. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, the chicken can be steamed and refrigerated.  Be sure to bring the chicken to room temperature before serving.

 

1 lb. (400g) skin-on chicken thighs
2 Tbs. Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1-inch (2.5cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground dry-toasted Sichuan peppercorns
1 large spring onion, sliced lengthwise

 

For the spicy sour dressing:
1 Tbs. light soy sauce
1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3-inch (1cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 medium red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium green chili, seeded and finely chopped
4 Tbs. peanut or vegetable oil
Juice of 1 small orange
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp. ground dry-toasted Sichuan peppercorns

 

For serving:
1 1/2 cups (45g) baby spinach leaves, washed and sliced
Fresh orange segments
1 spring onion, finely sliced

 

Place the chicken in a heatproof bowl and drizzle with the rice wine. Tuck the ginger slices underneath the skin. Season with salt and ground Sichuan peppercorns and drape the spring onion over the chicken. Place the bowl in a bamboo steamer, cover with the lid and steam over a pan of simmering water for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs). Check the water during the cooking process and add more water if necessary.

 

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a bowl, stir together the light soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, grated ginger, red and green chilies, peanut oil, orange juice, lime juice, sugar and ground Sichuan peppercorns.

 

Test if the chicken is cooked, then remove the bowl from the steamer. Pour any chicken juices into another bowl and set aside. Transfer the chicken to a chopping board and chop into long rectangular chunks.
Place a layer of spinach on individual plates and divide the chicken pieces among the plates. Garnish with orange segments and sliced spring onion. Add 2 Tbs. of the chicken juices to the dressing and drizzle over the chicken. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

To find out more about Ching, her great tasting recipes and her books, visit www.chinghehuang.com.

 

To learn more about her US television shows, visit the Cooking Channel.

 

About the author: The face of Chinese cooking on British TV, Ching-He Huang’s dynamic approach to modern Chinese food led to a television presence in Great Britain before coming to America with her popular shows Chinese Food Made Easy and Easy Chinese: San Francisco on the Cooking Channel. Ching is also the author of four cookbooks, the bestselling Ching’s Chinese Food in Minutes, Chinese Food Made Easy and China Modern. Ching’s latest book, Ching’s Fast Food, is published by Harper Collins and is available on her website. http://www.chinghehuang.com