Crispy Soy Chicken

This Crispy Soy Chicken is first poached in a rice wine, soy sauce, and brown sugar liquid that is flavored with cinnamon, star anise, garlic, ginger and orange peel.

Next, it is roasted in a hot oven to crisp up the skin. The result is a delicious juicy chicken with a beautiful and flavorful skin. It's delicious served with Asian inspired side dishes such as rice and stir-fried vegetables such as this Baby Bok Choy. I think it would be the perfect pairing for this Thai Cabbage Salad.

The key ingredient to achieve this beautiful mahogany color is dark soy sauce. It can be difficult to find unless you have access to Asian markets. My favorite brand is Pearl River Bridge.

The recipe also calls for Shaoxing Rice Wine, but if you can't find it, you can substitute dry sherry.

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day! Each month we are assigned a member's blog from which to make a recipe. This month I was assigned Couscous & Consciousness, beautifully written and photographed by Nelson. She lives in New Zealand where she teaches yoga and tries as much as possible to eat locally grown, organic, and seasonal foods.

Other recipes that I intend to try include this amazing looking Gnocchi with Chorizo, Gorgonzola & Spinach, and these Vietnamese inspired Summer Rolls, a perfect vehicle for using up any leftover soy chicken. Check out her blog for gorgeous healthy food.

For another chicken and soy sauce recipe, be sure to try my honey soy chicken legs too! 

Crispy Soy Chicken

Slightly adapted from Couscous & Consciousness, slightly adapted from Seasons, by Donna Hay.

Ingredients

3 C Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

8 C water

3/4 C dark soy sauce

1 C brown sugar

1 stick cinnamon

4 star anise

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced 

4 strips of orange, tangerine, or grapefruit peel

3 1/2 pound whole roasting chicken

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, add the wine, water, soy sauce, and sugar and heat until the sugar melts.
3. Add the cinnamon, star anise, garlic, ginger, peel, and the chicken.
4. Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
5. Move the chicken to a rack in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
6. Remove from the oven and tent the chicken with foil for about 20 minutes.
7. Cut into pieces and serve.