Ingredients
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Chicken Marinate
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2 pcs Boneless Chicken ThighCut bite size
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2 tbsp Sesame OilBlack Sesame Oil
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1 tbsp Ginger JuiceOr 5 ginger slices
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1 tbsp Hua Diao Wine
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1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
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For sauce
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3 tbsp GingerThin strips
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1-2 stalks Spring Onioncut 1 inch length
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2 tbsp Sesame Oil
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1 tbsp Dark Sauce
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1 tsp Light Soya Sauce
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2 tsp Martel / XO
Directions
Sesame oil chicken another comfort dish for me. I always loved confinement food since I was a kid. Anything with sesame oil, ginger and wine I LOVE!!! I remember how sis and I used to sit around our aunts when they are doing their confinement and beg for confinement food. =P The warm, spicy, sweet and savoury dish with such a lovely fragrance make me hungry just thinking of it!!!
So I was really touched and happy with hubby suddenly asked me on our way home from TCM how to cook 芝麻姜鸡 Sesame and Ginger Chicken. It took me a second to realise he meant 麻油鸡 Sesame Oil Chicken. LOL… Well, from here you can tell my hubs is quite kantang (potato) and does not usually pay attention to Chinese dishes though he knows a good dish.
Sesame oil chicken not only great for women in confinement as it warms the blood, promotes blood circulation and removes air and toxin. It is also great for all who tend to have a cool or yin body to do all of the above and in my case, to promote blood circulation to ease my swollen arm and bruises. In fact, the key ingredients – sesame oil, ginger and rice wine are all known to do the above. Having said that, if you are a person prone to heatiness, then you may want to avoid this dish. I remember cooking this for one of my ex-boyfriends when I visited him in Amsterdam and he immediately fell very sick with fever and cold for 3-4 days!
Sesame oil is a healthy oil that is nutrient rich and long been used for medicinal properties in Oriental cultures. It is high in protein and proven to promote heart health, relieve constipation, reduce inflammation and rheumatism. Some studies even claim that sesame oil can prevent cancer but I am not so sure about this claim. In any case, this is a healthy oil that one can consume in small amounts regularly.
The dish is pretty simple to cook as all you need is loads of ginger, spring onions, chicken or pork slices or kidney or liver, sesame oil, wine, soya sauce and dark sauce. Pretty basic ingredients that most Chinese household will have.
I used boneless chicken thigh and drum meat in this case as I have them on hand and they cook faster than with bone and way easier to eat considering I am handicapped with one hand now. But you can use whatever chicken you want or even pork loin, pork kidney or pork liver or a mix.
The crux to this dish is actually using a good quality sesame oil, ginger and wine. My mum recommended me to use black sesame oil as it is more fragrant than white sesame oil but either is fine. Remember to choose from a reliable brand that offers pure sesame oil. (Read the labels) Another is of course the ginger – use old ginger and slice it into thin shreds. For wine, I use quality Chinese cooking rice wine, hua diao jiu. Just make sure it is fragrant and I also add a dash of martel or XO near the end for added fragrance.
Other ingredients are easy. I will usually cut the spring onion about 1 inch long strips. But I was not paying attention when Ed asked and so he chopped them finely which works well actually. And just cut the meat to bite sized pieces. Hope you enjoy making and eating this dish!
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Steps
1
Done
30m
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Marinate chickenMix all ingredients together and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the chiller. |
2
Done
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Fry gingerHeat a frying pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil. |
3
Done
|
Fry white part of spring onionsAdd spring onions to pan and fry till fragrant. |
4
Done
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Fry chickenAdd chicken to the pan and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the chicken from burning. |