Braised Chicken with Edamame [小鸡烧毛豆]

This is hands down a classic. Braised chicken with edamame is one of the 3 signature braised dishes in my family (the other two are the hearty beef & potato braise and the pork ribs & string beans braise).

Ingredients

Main Things

• Whole chicken, broken down (or you can substitute for 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, and 2 breasts)

• Frozen Edamame, deshelled, 8oz (amount is flexible, just don’t exceed 1/3 of the chicken’s weight)

Base

• Oil, 2 tbsps.

• Ginger, 3 slices

• Garlic, 3 cloves

• Scallion, 1 sprig

Spice & Sauce Blend (* is optional)

• Soy sauce, 3 tbsps.

• Cooking Wine or White Wine, 2 tbsps.

• Dried chili peppers, 2 peppers (substitute with any spice powder, to taste)

• Star anise, 1 piece*

• Sichuan peppercorn oil, 2 tsps.*

• A pinch of sugar*

• Salt (to add later into cooking), 1/2 tsp. or more, to taste

Steps

1. Break down chicken

2. Pat chicken dry

3. Heat 2 tbsps. of oil in the pan, turn heat to high

4. Stir in the base ingredients until aroma comes out, for about 3 minutes

5. Put chicken in the pan, and cook on both sides to get the skin crispy

6. Put in the spice and sauce blend, except for the salt. Stir.

7. Add ½ cup of water, turn heat to medium-small and braise for 15 minutes

8. Add in edamame and salt, braise for an additional 20 minutes

… and you shall feast