Five-Spice Chicken
Submitted by cdewgaw
Five-spice chicken thighs in a soy, sherry, ginger, and brown sugar sauce, cooked in the microwave in 30 minutes. The pan juices thicken into a glossy sauce spooned right over the top.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minChinese five-spice powder punches well above its weight in this recipe. Just a quarter teaspoon goes into a marinade of soy sauce, dry sherry, brown sugar, minced ginger, and garlic, and that small amount gives the whole dish a warm, anise-forward depth that distinguishes it from basic soy-glazed chicken.
The whole thing cooks in a microwave dish, which makes it a legitimate 30-minute weeknight meal. The cornstarch stirred into the pan juices at the end thickens them into a proper glaze to spoon over the thighs.
Serve with rice and steamed watercress, as the recipe suggests, and the sauce ties everything together.
Kitchen Tips
- Turn the chicken halfway through microwaving so it cooks evenly and picks up the marinade on both sides.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water before stirring it into the hot pan juices. Adding dry cornstarch directly causes lumps.
- Five-spice powder varies a lot by brand. Taste before cooking and adjust; some blends are heavier on star anise than others.
Ingredients
Directions
In shallow 1½ quart microwaveproof dish, combine first 6 ingredients.
Add chicken and turn to coat.
Cover and microwave on HIGH 10 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.
Transfer chicken to platter.
Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and stir into pan juices, Microwave uncovered on HIGH 1½ minutes more.
Stir and pour over chicken.
Garnish with green onions.
Serve with wild and white rice and steamed watercress.
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