Ginger Soy Happiness (Chicken)

Sometimes we all need a good chicken dish on a pile of hot rice. The chicken is glossy and tender. The rice is steaming and fluffy. The combo is like a song- singing that life is so good right now and you don’t need any thing from the world…until maybe you finish this meal. (HA!) Alright, maybe this is just my version of happiness, but I love to share it with you!

Let’s focus on the chicken part today. It’s good pair with rice, couscous, toast, event wrap them in hot dog bun!

First, Gather your “Stuff”! you will need:
Fresh ginger
Soy sauce
Rice wine (or Sherry)
(Asian dark) Sesame oil
Sugar
Scallion
Chicken
(I use boneless chicken thigh/Dark meat = sweet & juicy!)
Of course you can use other chicken part here.

Grab your knife and cut your meat!.. into 2”x 2” pieces.
They will shrink into nice bite size pieces.
On the left that little pile is the Chicken Fat.
Yap, fat trimmed from those chicken thigh
save them, use them!(…in the following step :D)

Slice up some fresh ginger root.
I keep my fresh ginger in a jar of rice wine.
They keep pretty well in fridge and the wine will soften the tough ginger fiber.
You also get some ginger favored rice wine too!
*great for marinade meat
If you don’t have fresh ginger at home,
peel some garlic cloves and slice them..
You will get “Garlic Soy” happiness in the end..

Heat your pan and add some oil.
I am using canola oil in squeezes bottle,
you don’t need much oil here,
since we will add the chicken fat and sesame oil later.

Add ginger and chicken fat (*optional) in the pan.

Using medium fire,
Cook the ginger until it became dry
and start to curl on the edge.
*where is the chicken fat?
They all melted and become nice brown crispy pieces!
(Think Bacon)

Time to add Your chicken~!
Add chicken to pan,
let 1 side to sear and brown before turning the meat.
*Be patient, grasshopper…or meat eater.. ^0^

After the chicken is cook and seared all around.
Add 1 tbsp Sesame oil.
This will transform the smell
and character of this chicken dish into “Taiwanese” style.
*so exotic LOL

Add 1 tbsp Rice wine or sherry to the pan
and inhale the sizzle *inhale optional
Oh and I don’t really measure when I cook,
so add more or less on your liking.

But not the whole bottle of the wine…
that’s another Taiwanese dish ;D *I am serious.

Add 1 to 2 tbsp Soy sauce. Again, no sure measuring,
more or less depends on how salty your soy sauce is.
*like beer/wine/olive oil, every soy sauce taste different.

Hmmmmm…Look at this color!
The soy sauce has coat the chicken with caramelized goodness,
now add 1 tbsp sugar to give it a gloss coating and sweetness.
Yes I POUR my sugar,
YOU SHOULD ONLY ATTATN THIS ACTION
WITH YEAR OF TRAINING. HAHA!

In the end, sprinkle some fresh Scallion slices.
Of course you can add some fresh chopped jalapeños
in the there to give some “WHOA!!”
just remember to warn whoever is going to eat this,
yourself included.

OK all you need now is some cooked rice
/pasta/bun/toast/ some kind of grain/starch you prefer
and enjoy your happiness!

Have fun :D