I have included more chestnuts, almost doubled, than the typical recipe of this 栗子炆雞. It is not only because I bias toward them but also because I have learned an easy trick to skin the chestnuts fast.
It is the same simple method I mentioned in my last post, showing how the skins of briefly boiled chestnuts could be rubbed off in seconds.
Because I was cooking this small dish for two, I therefore had all ingredients fried and cooked in my cast iron
dish. That saved some washing tasks but then I had to borrow the lid from my French oven. You may use a clay pot like this or this to cook for a larger amount and also have it served directly from stove to table.
Cooking with clay pots or this cast iron dish shall give us similar results. However, do take note that both the chicken wings and chestnuts have to be covered with sauce to keep them from drying out while being simmered. So, when cooking with a wide and large pot or pan, you may need to proportionally increase the ingredients for making the sauce as required.
The sauce here is rather basic and of minimal style. You may however add oyster sauce and/or chili bean sauce to suit your own taste. If you do so, simply omit or reduce the salt to be added toward the end of cooking. Have fun with your variations!
- Ingredients
- 4 frozen chicken wings (middle section), ~250g
- 200g chestnuts (after shelled)
- 3-4 cloves shallot, slightly crushed
- 1-2 slices ginger, slightly crushed
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 1 spring onion, thinly shredded
- Marinade for chicken
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cooking wine
- pinch of ground white pepper
- a dash of ginger juice
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- corn starch paste (corn starch : water = 1 : 2 tsp)
Method
Thoroughly defrost chicken wings; wash, pat dry, cut each into two pieces. Marinade them for at least 15 minutes.
Shell and skin chestnuts.
Heat pan and oil enough (until wave-lines appear). With low flame, fry chicken wings until both sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes each.
Add in shallots, garlic and chestnuts, stirring constantly until fragrant, half to one minute. Mix sugar, soy sauces into chicken stock and pour into the pot. The amount of water in pot shall cover both the chicken and chestnuts to keep them from drying out. Stir well.
Bring the sauce to a boil (regulate heat if required), cover. Then simmer it over low heat, about 10 minutes, or until the chestnuts are done.
Uncover, season sauce with salt. Turn to high heat and thicken with well-mixed corn starch paste.
Garnish with spring onion.
Serve hot, enjoy!
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- 16 comments
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Comments
Thank you for visiting, I would love to hear from you as much as I love to put up posts here ...
- Juliana December 15, 2011
Now I know what you did with all the chestnuts 🙂 what an awesome dish…looks delicious and full of flavor, I just need a bowl of rice to go with it, so yummie!
Hope you are having a wonderful week! - tigerfish December 15, 2011
I cooked a chicken dish with chestnuts just last week! I gave up on peeling the chestnuts at the same time last week. You browned the chicken so perfectly! The caramelization and sweet chestnuts must be marrying well in the savory seasoning.
- Lisa H. December 15, 2011
Looking at your photos… makes me want to have my dinner now (at 7.30am!!!)
Gorgeous 😀 - Loveforfood December 15, 2011
Can’t wait to try them some weekend!
- Angie@Angiesrecipes December 15, 2011
Mouthwatering!
- mycookinghut December 17, 2011
Looks really good! I love it!
- Smoky Wok (Jen) December 17, 2011
Looks so delicious dear!!! I would love some right now 🙂
- Mei Teng December 24, 2011
I love eating chestnuts. I have them mostly on its own (roasted over charcoal) or in rice dumplings.
- Smoky Wok (J) December 25, 2011
Just dropping by to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! 🙂
- Chris December 31, 2011
Should the chestnuts be roasted first, or simply peeled and then skinned? Thank you and happy new year!
- TasteHongKong January 2, 2012
@Chris,
Basically, it is to score the shells first, then roast (or boil), shell and skin. You may want to read this post, How to skin chestnuts for more details. Enjoy!
Happy New Year to you and everyone! - JJ January 9, 2012
Yum! Another recipe I’ve book marked 🙂
- WL September 30, 2012
Just discovered your blog when searching for hawthorn tea. I was reading this post and was searching for garlic in your ingredient list. Was that item missed out. You have garlic in your method. Nonetheless the dish looked delicious and I am going to try it.
- TasteHongKong October 2, 2012
@WL
Thanks! And hope you’ll enjoy trying this.
On the list, I mainly put down the key ingredients. In this case, they are chicken and chestnut. Excuse me if I’ve overlooked some. - YC December 11, 2013
Thank you so much! Made this last night and it was absolutely delish 🙂
- TasteHongKong December 12, 2013
@YC,
Great! Thanks for telling us.
