Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup
台式麻油雞湯
Recipe overview
Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup blooms ginger in sesame oil before chicken thighs, rice wine and water are gently simmered into a warming family soup.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g chicken thighs
- 80 g ginger
Sauce
- 500 ml Taiwanese rice wine
- 700 ml water
Seasoning
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt
Garnish
- 15 g goji berries
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- pot
- colander
- kitchen paper
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- stockpot
- wooden spoon
- food thermometer
- serving bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Slice the ginger
Wash and dry the ginger, then slice it with the skin on to about 3 mm thick.
Step 2
Cut the chicken
Cut chicken thighs into roughly 5 cm pieces and trim excess fat.
Step 3
Blanch the chicken
Blanch the chicken in boiling water for 3 minutes, then lift it out after the foam rises.
Step 4
Drain and dry
Drain the chicken in a colander and pat every surface thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
Step 5
Fry the ginger in sesame oil
Heat sesame oil in the stockpot over medium-low, then fry ginger for 5 minutes until the edges curl.
Step 6
Brown the chicken
Add chicken to the same pot and cook over medium for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
Step 7
Add the rice wine
Lower the heat, slowly pour in all Taiwanese rice wine and stir with a wooden spoon.
Step 8
Add water and boil
Add 700 ml water and heat over medium-high for 5 minutes until fully boiling.
Step 9
Simmer covered
Cover, reduce to low and maintain a gentle simmer for 25 minutes.
Step 10
Check the chicken
Uncover and insert a thermometer into the thickest chicken piece; the centre must reach at least 75°C.
Step 11
Season and add goji
Add salt and rinsed goji berries, stir gently and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 12
Serve the soup
Divide chicken, ginger and broth evenly among four soup bowls and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Do not smoke sesame oil over fierce heat or it turns bitter; cook ginger patiently over medium-low heat until its edges curl.
Tips
Drain and pat the blanched chicken dry before it meets the sesame oil to reduce splatter and encourage light browning.
