Clear-Stewed Chicken with Pork Filling
A traditional specialty of Jiangsu, featuring chicken leg meat as the main ingredient, accompanied by minced pork, egg whites, and ham slices. The ingredients are first fried, then braised in a clay pot, yielding a clear broth and a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Ingredients
boneless chicken thighs (skin side down, laid flat)
2 (about 400 g)
egg whites (beaten into stiff peaks)
25 g
lean pork (minced into rice-grain size, mixed with seasonings)
100 g
cooked ham slices
25 g
rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms
dry starch (for dredging chicken and mixing with beaten egg whites)
30 g
Shaoxing wine
25 g
fine salt
7.5 g
peanut oil (for frying chicken)
750 g (50 g actually used)
chicken broth (for clay pot braising)
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the pork paste
Mince the pork into rice-grain-sized pieces, place in a bowl, add the seasonings and mix well.
2
Prepare the chicken thighs
Debone the chicken thighs and lay them skin side down on a cutting board. Gently score crosswise with a knife, dredge with a layer of dry starch, then spread the pork paste evenly over the chicken. Score a few more times with the knife so the pork adheres firmly to the chicken, then cut the pieces into 3 cm wide diamond shapes.
3
Coat and fry
Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, fold in the dry starch to make a foamy batter, then roll the chicken pieces in it to coat. Heat oil in a wok over high heat until about 50% hot (approximately 125°C), add the chicken pieces and fry for about 1 minute, until a soft shell forms and they turn white. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.
4
Braise in the clay pot
Transfer the chicken pieces to a clay pot, add chicken broth, ham slices, Shaoxing wine, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then move to low heat and braise for half an hour until tender and falling apart. Add the shiitake mushrooms, braise briefly, and serve.
