EDIT: UGH!\u00a0 I had pictures of both the chicken and the salad, but in my haste to get dinner on the table, they turned out BLURRY and CRAPPY.\u00a0 No pictures, but as this was very tasty, I promise to make it again. <3<\/p>\n
In 2010, Masterchef Australia found its way into my heart.\u00a0 Unlike its international counterparts (the original UK Masterchef, and the bastardized American version that trades on nothing but drama) and most other cooking shows, I found myself fascinated not only by the top 24 contestants’ cooking skills, but by how they were all nice people<\/em>.\u00a0 Unheard of!<\/p>\n One contestant, Alvin, created ‘drunken and bruised,’ a dish of poached chicken in broth with a bruised cucumber and bean salad.\u00a0 I’ve been dying to make it ever since I saw the judges gush over it, and since today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, I figured I’d give it a try — adding a few more Chinese tricks in while I’m at it.<\/p>\n I don’t have access to things like Malayasian palm sugar or shao hsing wine, so I’ve had to make substitutions.\u00a0 I’m also all out of my Thai bird chillies until next summer.\u00a0 Phooey! Recipe follows! Drunken and Bruised, Bao-Style For the chicken<\/strong>:<\/p>\n 1, 3.5-4 lb chicken, or equivalent weights of chicken parts [I’m using 4, bone-in, skin-on breasts] For the sauce<\/strong>:<\/p>\n 6 tbsp peanut or veggie oil For the salad:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>3 garlic cloves, peeled Man, that was a lot of ingredients.\u00a0 Plop the chicken snugly in a large pot and add wine, mirin, sugar, ginger, salt, and enough water to cover the chicken by 1\/2 to 1″.\u00a0 Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.\u00a0 Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to cool in the cooking liquid until just warm.\u00a0 Remove chicken and pat dry with a paper towel, peel off skin, and rub lightly with sesame oil.<\/p>\n Now, start the salad.\u00a0 Place the garlic, peanuts, crushed red pepper flakes, a little salt, and dash of fish sauce in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse paste.\u00a0 Add the limes and give them a whack to release juice.\u00a0 Combine the cherry tomatoes, beans, and cucumber in a bowl and add the mixture from the mortar and pestle.\u00a0 Mix together gently.<\/p>\n In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lime juice until the sugar dissolves.\u00a0 Add fish sauce to taste (I was a little over 1 tbsp) and whisk to combine.\u00a0 Taste for seasoning; it should be balanced.\u00a0 Whisk in sesame oil and dress the salad with enough dressing to moisten it.\u00a0 Plate up and drizzle with more sesame oil.<\/p>\n Carefully slice it off the bone.\u00a0 Cut the whole breasts into five pieces and place into shallow bowls.<\/p>\n Heat the peanut or veggie oil in a small saucepan, and when it is hot add ginger and scallions.\u00a0 Cook for about 30 seconds and then remove ginger and scallions with a slotted spoon.\u00a0 Scatter the ginger and scallions over the chicken.<\/p>\n Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.\u00a0 Pour over the chicken to coat, and serve at room temperature with a ladleful of the poaching liquid in the bowl as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" EDIT: UGH!\u00a0 I had pictures of both the chicken and the salad, but in my haste to get dinner on the table, they turned out BLURRY and CRAPPY.\u00a0 No pictures, but as this was very tasty, I promise to make … Continue reading
\n<\/p>\n
\nServes 4<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n500 ml mirin
\n1 liter shao hsing <\/em>wine or dry sherry
\n3 ounces light brown sugar
\n2″ piece ginger, peeled and sliced
\nwater to cover, 500+ ml
\n2 tbsp salt<\/p>\n
\n1\/4 c finely shredded fresh ginger
\n3 scallions (white and green parts), sliced into 4″-long strips
\n2 tbsp soy sauce
\n2 tsp sugar
\n1 tbsp shao hsing wine<\/em> or dry sherry
\n1\/2 tsp salt<\/p>\n
\n1 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts (unsalted)
\n1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
\n2 lime wedges
\n6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
\n3\/4 lb green beans, trimmed, blanched and cut into 2″ lengths
\n1 English cucumber, cut into match sticks
\n1 tsp sesame oil
\n2 tbsp light brown sugar
\nJuice of 2 limes
\n2 tbsp fish sauce<\/p>\n