Braised Chicken with Smoked Ham, Chestnuts, and Ginger
A luxurious Chinese-inspired braised chicken dish featuring tender chicken pieces cooked with dried black mushrooms, chestnuts, and country ham in a flavorful wine and ginger sauce. The dish combines both Eastern and Western ingredients for a rich, complex flavor profile.
Ingredients
- •2¾ cups water
- •12 whole dried Chinese black mushrooms
- •½ teaspoon white pepper
- •2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- •1 tablespoon soy sauce
- •2 teaspoon sugar
- •1 cup sliced peeled ginger
- •¼ cup Shaoxing wine or dry Oloroso Sherry
- •¼ cup dry white wine
- •2 whole small chickens
- •2¾ cups water
- •2 tablespoons corn oil
- •1⅔ tablespoons kosher salt
- •¼ cup finely julienned peeled ginger
- •½ cup dry white wine
- •¾ cup Shaoxing wine or dry Oloroso Sherry
- •¾ cup dry Oloroso Sherry
- •2½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- •1⅝ cups cold water
- •3½ teaspoons sugar
- •2 tablespoons soy sauce
- •1 teaspoon white pepper
- •2 tablespoons cornstarch
- •7½ ounces bottled roasted chestnuts
- •¼ pound country ham or speck
- •to taste steamed jasmine rice
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir in mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard stems, then chill mushroom caps, covered, until ready to braise chicken. Stir remaining marinade ingredients into mushroom liquid, then add chicken and marinate, chilled, stirring occasionally, 1 day.
1440 min
- 2.
Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry (discard marinade).
5 min
- 3.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Just before browning each batch of chicken, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Brown, skin side down first, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
15 min
- 4.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from skillet, then reduce heat to medium-low and sauté ginger, stirring, 1 minute (do not brown). Add white wine and Shaoxing and boil until reduced by three fourths, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to a simmer.
10 min
- 5.
Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons cold water and whisk into sauce, then boil 1 minute.
1 min
- 6.
Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a 6-to 8-quart heavy pot (place white meat on top). Add sauce, chestnuts, and reserved mushroom caps. Gently simmer, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes.
20 min
- 7.
Cut breasts in half and return to pot. Add ham. Gently simmer 3 minutes more.
3 min
