Braised chicken & chestnuts

Name: Braised chicken & chestnuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 25 g pack Cooks’ Ingredients Shiitake Mushrooms; 590 g pack slower reared chicken thigh fillets; 3½ tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Shaoxing Rice Wine; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp ground white pepper, plus ⅛ tsp; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil; 3 salad onions, whites finely sliced, greens cut into 2cm pieces; 4 clove/s garlic, finely chopped; 20 g piece ginger, peeled and finely diced; 2 star anise; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 180 g pack whole chestnuts

This recipe is a true family favourite for Charmaine Katz, whose mum would serve it, still bubbling, with rice and wok-fried greens. It’s deep and savoury, full of ginger and garlic, tender chicken and chestnuts. Follow Charmaine on Instagram and find more hearty chestnut recipes.

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High proteinSource of fibre

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time45 mins
Plussoaking

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25g pack Cooks’ Ingredients Shiitake Mushrooms
590g pack slower reared chicken thigh fillets
3½ tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Shaoxing Rice Wine
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper, plus ⅛ tsp
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
3 salad onions, whites finely sliced, greens cut into 2cm pieces
4 clove/s garlic, finely chopped
20g piece ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 star anise
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
180g pack whole chestnuts

Put the mushrooms into a heatproof bowl and cover with 300ml just-boiled water. Let them soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until rehydrated and soft. Meanwhile, marinate the chicken. In a bowl add 2 tbsp rice wine, the salt, white pepper, ½ tbsp light soy and ½ tbsp oil and mix well. Cut the chicken into 5cm pieces and add to the bowl, stirring to coat evenly. Cover and set aside at room temperature for a maximum of 30 minutes, or chill for up to 24 hours.
Heat a deep frying pan with a lid over a medium heat and add ½ tbsp oil, then add the salad onion whites, garlic, ginger and star anise and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken, then sear for 5-6 minutes until light golden on all sides.
Drain the mushrooms over a jug (reserve the soaking stock). Add the mushrooms, remaining rice wine, 1 tbsp light soy, the dark soy and ⅛ tsp white pepper to the pan, stirring until well combined. Add the mushroom stock (leave any soaking grit in the bottom), bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
Cut the chestnuts in half. Stir into the pan and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes more, part-covered with the lid, until they’re warmed through, the chicken is cooked and tender with no pink meat and juices that run clear, and the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly
Add the salad onion greens to gently warm through for a final minute. Goes well with wok-fried greens and rice, if you like.

Cook’s tip

Cook double (you’ll need to sear the chicken in two batches), as it will taste even better the next day. Cool, then cover and chill, reheating to piping hot over gentle heat before adding the salad onion greens. If you freeze instead, cool, then sprinkle with the onion greens to avoid waste.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe