Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Red-braised chicken


As I plonk four big pieces of chicken legs, I catch myself re-evaluating my life. I just happen to be thinking how I just like to aim too high and overwhelm myself with too big of a task to handle. The four lifeless pieces of chicken appeared to be nodding their headless bodies in agreement. Somehow I have managed to get quarters of chicken with the legs rather than "chicken legs, cut into 3cm pieces across the bone" just as Neil instructed. The choice seemed so obvious when standing at the butcher. It was either buying drumsticks or getting the quarters or buying two whole chickens and cutting around the legs 3cm across the bone. Now what would I have done with the rest of the chicken when I wasn't going to come across another chicken dish in the cook book for another 20 pages?
Again, contrary to Neil's comment about the dish becoming one of the favourite, it didn't make it as one of mine. I am starting to wonder whether the measurement for liquid is correct in the cook book. It seems i often have to use half of the bottle of soy sauce. Hence, what was meant to be used as sauce became stock. I even tried putting corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Perhaps, if you enjoy the taste of star anise this dish may appeal to you. My suggestion is to use less water at the beginning and add as needed. It is also a great dish if you want to impress your guests. Having the spices and peeled tangerine floating in the sauce can make the dish look very exotic.
I am going to return to contemplating how to simplify my life now.

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