Recipe
I've been a chef for 23 years, and I regret not knowing this until now.
Ingredients
- 1chicken thigh
- 2onions
- 700mlwater
- 2tbsp dark soy sauce
About "Soy Sauce Braised Chicken"
This is a soy sauce-braised chicken thigh dish seasoned only with soy sauce. By thoroughly searing the chicken and onions, we draw out their savory aroma, while adding the sweetness and richness of caramelized onions to create a simple yet deep flavor. Gentle cooking using a drop lid (otoshibuta) achieves an exquisite texture with melt-in-your-mouth tender chicken and onions.
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Tips for Making "Soy Sauce Braised Chicken"
-
Prep
- Pat chicken dry and remove feathers, bones, blood, and gristle to prevent odors and improve texture.
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Prep
- Prep onions two ways: halved with root intact for shape, and sliced to caramelize for concentrated sweetness.
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Searing
- Sear chicken skin over high heat, then use the rendered fat to deeply brown the onions for a flavorful base.
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Searing
- Cover chicken with foil and weigh it down to prevent curling and ensure an even, beautiful sear.
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Searing
- Sauté sliced onions while scraping up browned bits, cooking slowly until caramelized to release sweetness.
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Seasoning
- Soy sauce alone works because of its natural umami and aroma, enhanced by seared chicken and caramelized onions.
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Simmering
- Skim foam after boiling and maintain a gentle simmer. Use a paper towel drop lid to distribute liquid evenly.
Ingredients for "Soy Sauce Braised Chicken"
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How to Make "Soy Sauce Braised Chicken"
- 1
Prepping the Chicken
Pat the surface of the chicken thigh with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and any remaining feathers. Carefully remove any bones, blood clots, and gristle with a knife, quickly feeling the meat to check. Finally, stretch out the skin and place the chicken skin-side down in a frying pan.
- 2
Prepping the Onions
Peel 2 onions over a tray. Cut one onion in half, leaving the root intact, to use as a main ingredient. For the other onion, remove the root, cut in half, make horizontal slits, slice thinly, and gently loosen the slices with your hands.
- 3
Searing the Chicken
Heat a frying pan over high heat and sear the chicken skin-side down without adding oil. Once it starts to smoke, reduce to medium heat and sear slowly until the skin is golden brown. To prevent curling, cover with aluminum foil and place a weight on top. Once evenly browned, transfer to a pot.
- 4
Searing the Onions (for Stew)
Sear the cut sides of the halved onion in the rendered chicken fat. Since onions tend to curl, searing them in plenty of fat is key. Get a deep sear on them, then transfer to the pot.
- 5
Caramelizing the Sliced Onions
Sauté the sliced onions in the same frying pan. Use a wooden spatula to scrape up the browned bits (fond) from the pan, letting the onions absorb the flavor. Once the onions are coated in chicken fat and umami, spread them out. Let them brown slightly, stir, spread them out again, and repeat until they are beautifully caramelized.
- 6
Making the Braising Liquid
Once the onions are caramelized, add 700ml of water and stir well, scraping up any remaining browned bits. Transfer this liquid to the pot and add 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce.
- 7
Simmering (30 Minutes)
Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully skim off any foam. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cut a hole in the center of a paper towel, and place it on top as a drop lid. Simmer for 30 minutes, then gently squeeze the liquid from the paper towel back into the pot before removing it.
Food Science
The combination of inosinate (an umami compound in chicken thighs) and glutamate (found in onions and soy sauce) creates an umami synergy. Additionally, cooking breaks down the pungent compounds in onions to release their sweetness. When balanced with the saltiness and umami of soy sauce, this creates a deeply harmonious flavor profile across the basic tastes.
Detailed Commentary on "Soy Sauce Braised Chicken"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
Careful Prep for Chicken Thighs
Today, we are making a braised chicken dish seasoned only with soy sauce. First, let's prep 1 chicken thigh. Chicken often has excess moisture (purge), so pat it dry with a paper towel. Leaving it can cause odors or make the dish watery. Check the skin for any remaining feathers and pluck them out. Next, to ensure a smooth texture, carefully remove any bones, blood clots, and gristle with a knife. The professional secret here is to work quickly while feeling the meat so your body heat doesn't affect its quality. Finally, stretch the skin back out to prevent uneven cooking, and place it skin-side down in a frying pan.
Smart Onion Cutting Techniques
Next, let's prep 2 onions. We want to keep the root intact, so peel them by inserting a knife from the side. Peeling them over a tray makes cleanup easy. Cut one onion in half to use as a main ingredient. Leaving the root intact prevents it from falling apart during simmering, helping it hold its shape. For the other onion, cut it in half, remove the root, make horizontal slits, and slice it thinly. Once sliced, gently loosen them by hand so they are easier to sauté. These two different cuts of onion will play distinct, crucial roles in this simple braised dish.
Searing Chicken and Onions for Aroma
Heat the frying pan over high heat to sear the chicken thigh. Since chicken fat (chiyu) will render from the skin, you don't need to add any oil. Once it starts smoking, lower the heat to medium to prevent burning, and sear slowly until the skin is beautifully golden brown. Once the chicken fat is rendered, sear the cut sides of the halved onions in that fat. Onions tend to curl when seared, which can cause uneven cooking, so searing them in plenty of fat is key. Getting a deep sear gives the dish a beautiful color when simmered and transforms into rich flavor and umami. Once browned, transfer the onions to the pot. To prevent the chicken from curling, cover it with aluminum foil and place a weight (like another pot) on top to get an even, beautiful sear. Once deeply browned, transfer it to the pot as well.
Caramelizing Onions for Deep Umami
Using the same flavor-packed frying pan where we seared the chicken and onions, let's sauté the sliced onions. Use a wooden spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the frying pan, letting the onions absorb all that flavor. Once they are coated in chicken fat and umami, spread them out and let them cook evenly without stirring too much. Once they get a nice color, stir, spread them out again, and repeat this process until the onions are beautifully caramelized. Adding these caramelized onions to the stew provides sweetness, aroma, and richness, creating a depth of flavor that makes it hard to believe the only seasoning is soy sauce. Once sautéed, add 700ml of water, stir well to scrape up every bit of umami, and transfer it to the pot.
Simmering with Just Soy Sauce
Add 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce to the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully skim off any foam and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for even cooking. Then, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. As the liquid evaporates, the chicken might float to the surface, so cut a hole in the center of a paper towel and place it on top as a drop lid (otoshibuta). This ensures the braising liquid circulates evenly to the surface, allowing the flavors to penetrate thoroughly. Once done, gently squeeze the flavorful liquid from the paper towel back into the pot before discarding it. With this, our simple soy sauce-braised chicken, seasoned only with soy sauce, is complete.
Tasting the Umami-Rich Masterpiece
Although the only seasoning used this time is soy sauce, it contains not just saltiness but also rich umami and aroma, making it a complete flavor profile on its own. Combined with the sweetness and richness of the caramelized onions and the savory aroma of the well-seared chicken, it creates an incredibly deep flavor. When you press with chopsticks, the chicken thigh is incredibly tender and falls apart effortlessly. The onions are also melt-in-your-mouth soft. Wrap the tender chicken in the soft onions, spoon over plenty of the concentrated braising liquid, and enjoy. When you take a bite, the savory chicken and sweet onions are highlighted beautifully—it's hard to believe it's seasoned only with soy sauce. It is truly addictive. Please give it a try!
About 飲食店独立学校 /こうせい校長
飲食店独立学校 /こうせい校長
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