Sake-Steamed Chicken and Kabocha Squash

A delicate Japanese-inspired dish featuring tender chicken breasts and kabocha squash steamed in sake with aromatic ginger and chiles. The steaming liquid reduces to create a flavorful sauce, finished with fresh scallions.

4 servings
33 min

Ingredients

  • 2 whole dried chiles de árbol
  • 1 cup sake
  • 1 piece ginger
  • 2 pieces chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ whole kabocha squash
  • 2 whole scallions
  • sliced on a diagonal
  • plus more for serving

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Combine chiles, sake, and 1 cup water in a pot. Fit with a steamer basket and arrange ginger in basket. Season chicken with salt and place in steamer basket, skin side up; add squash and 2 sliced scallions. Cover pot and steam chicken and squash over medium heat, adding more water by 1/4-cupfuls if needed, until squash is tender and chicken is just cooked through, 16-20 minutes.

    20 min

  2. 2.

    Remove steamer basket from pot and bring liquid to a boil. Cook until flavors are concentrated and liquid thickens, 6-8 minutes (you should have about 3 Tbsp.).

    8 min

  3. 3.

    Slice chicken and arrange on plates with squash. Pour steaming liquid over and top with additional scallions.

    5 min