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Steamed chicken with shiitake
Dōnggū zhēng jī (冬菇蒸鸡): Cantonese marinated chicken steamed on a plate with mushrooms and ginger
Steamed chicken with mushrooms is one of the dishes Cantonese grandmothers in Guangzhou and Hong Kong put on the dinner table on a weeknight, steamed on a plate over the rice pot so the juices drip into a little puddle of sauce: bite-sized pieces of chicken thigh marinated with soy, ginger and cornflour, scattered with soaked shiitake and steamed until tender and glossy. It is light, savoury and clean-tasting, with rice and a green vegetable. A portion is about 240 kcal. Marinate in the fridge. The most common mistake is piling the chicken up in a deep bowl; spread it in one layer on a plate so it cooks evenly. Chef's tip: the cornflour in the marinade is the secret; it protects the chicken and turns the steaming juices into a silky sauce.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless skinless chicken thighscut into 3 cm pieces
- 6 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked 20 minutes, squeezed, sliced
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingercut into fine strips
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing winecontains alcohol, which cooks off; or 1 tbsp water with ½ tsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp dried goji berries or 4 red dates (optional)
- 2 spring onionssliced
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs with 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, ½ tsp sugar and half the ⅝ in fresh ginger. Stir in 2 tsp cornflour, then 1 tsp toasted sesame oil. Cover and leave in the fridge for 15–30 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Spread the chicken in one layer on a heatproof plate. Scatter over 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbsp dried goji berries or 4 red dates and the rest of the ⅝ in fresh ginger.
Step 3: Steam over boiling water on a high heat for 15–18 minutes, until the chicken is white right through and reaches 165°F in the thickest piece, with clear juices.
18 minStep 4: Scatter with 2 spring onions and serve with the juices spooned over rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does steamed chicken with shiitake take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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