Soy-Glazed Chicken with Garlic Rice and Spicy Broth

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the uncooked jasmine rice and drain thoroughly. Thinly slice the onion and four garlic cloves; mince the remaining two cloves and the ginger. Cut the Chinese broccoli into 5 cm lengths, keeping stems and leaves separate, and halve any thick stems lengthwise. Thinly slice the spring onion.

2. 2

   Mix the oyster sauce, honey and 30 ml soy sauce in a bowl. Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast horizontally into cutlets about 1.5 cm thick and coat with the sauce. Set aside briefly while starting the rice.

3. 3

   Heat 10 ml canola oil and all the sesame oil in a 2-litre saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until pale golden. Lift the garlic onto a small plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

4. 4

   Stir the drained rice and 8 g sesame seeds into the garlic oil for 30 seconds. Add 500 ml water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Fold in half the fried garlic, remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Prepare the broth and chicken while the rice cooks and rests.

5. 5

   Once the rice is covered, heat 5 ml canola oil in a second 2-litre saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, minced garlic and ginger for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the gochujang and stir for 30 seconds, then add the stock and remaining 15 ml soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes; keep warm over the lowest heat.

6. 6

   While the broth simmers, heat 10 ml canola oil in a 32 cm deep frying pan over medium heat. Lift half the chicken from its coating, reserving all the coating in the bowl. Fry for 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate; it will finish cooking later. Add the remaining 5 ml oil and repeat with the remaining chicken.

7. 7

   Carefully add the reserved raw-chicken coating and remaining 50 ml water to the frying pan. Bring to a full bubbling boil for 1 minute. Return the chicken and its plate juices, add the broccoli stems, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Add the leaves, cover again and cook for 3 minutes.

8. 8

   Uncover and simmer for another 2–3 minutes, turning the chicken in the sauce, until the greens are tender and the glaze lightly coats the chicken. Check that the thickest part of every cutlet reaches 74°C/165°F; continue cooking if needed.

9. 9

   Fluff the rested rice and divide between four wide bowls. Add the chicken, broccoli and glaze, then ladle the hot broth around the rice. Finish with the spring onion, remaining fried garlic and remaining 4 g sesame seeds.