EDIT: UGH! I had pictures of both the chicken and the salad, but in my haste to get dinner on the table, they turned out BLURRY and CRAPPY. No pictures, but as this was very tasty, I promise to make it again. <3
In 2010, Masterchef Australia found its way into my heart. Unlike its international counterparts (the original UK Masterchef, and the bastardized American version that trades on nothing but drama) and most other cooking shows, I found myself fascinated not only by the top 24 contestants’ cooking skills, but by how they were all nice people. Unheard of!
One contestant, Alvin, created ‘drunken and bruised,’ a dish of poached chicken in broth with a bruised cucumber and bean salad. I’ve been dying to make it ever since I saw the judges gush over it, and since today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, I figured I’d give it a try — adding a few more Chinese tricks in while I’m at it.
I don’t have access to things like Malayasian palm sugar or shao hsing wine, so I’ve had to make substitutions. I’m also all out of my Thai bird chillies until next summer. Phooey! Recipe follows!
Drunken and Bruised, Bao-Style
Serves 4.
For the chicken:
1, 3.5-4 lb chicken, or equivalent weights of chicken parts [I’m using 4, bone-in, skin-on breasts]
500 ml mirin
1 liter shao hsing wine or dry sherry
3 ounces light brown sugar
2″ piece ginger, peeled and sliced
water to cover, 500+ ml
2 tbsp salt
For the sauce:
6 tbsp peanut or veggie oil
1/4 c finely shredded fresh ginger
3 scallions (white and green parts), sliced into 4″-long strips
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp shao hsing wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp salt
For the salad:
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 lime wedges
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed, blanched and cut into 2″ lengths
1 English cucumber, cut into match sticks
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light brown sugar
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp fish sauce
Man, that was a lot of ingredients. Plop the chicken snugly in a large pot and add wine, mirin, sugar, ginger, salt, and enough water to cover the chicken by 1/2 to 1″. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the cooking liquid until just warm. Remove chicken and pat dry with a paper towel, peel off skin, and rub lightly with sesame oil.
Now, start the salad. Place the garlic, peanuts, crushed red pepper flakes, a little salt, and dash of fish sauce in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse paste. Add the limes and give them a whack to release juice. Combine the cherry tomatoes, beans, and cucumber in a bowl and add the mixture from the mortar and pestle. Mix together gently.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lime juice until the sugar dissolves. Add fish sauce to taste (I was a little over 1 tbsp) and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning; it should be balanced. Whisk in sesame oil and dress the salad with enough dressing to moisten it. Plate up and drizzle with more sesame oil.
Carefully slice it off the bone. Cut the whole breasts into five pieces and place into shallow bowls.
Heat the peanut or veggie oil in a small saucepan, and when it is hot add ginger and scallions. Cook for about 30 seconds and then remove ginger and scallions with a slotted spoon. Scatter the ginger and scallions over the chicken.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken to coat, and serve at room temperature with a ladleful of the poaching liquid in the bowl as well.