cookbook/ bmontijo

ancho-soy braised chicken

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poultry · 2h 50m

ingredients

3

chicken

  • 6 wholebone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 ½ tbspground ancho chile
  • 3 tbspsoy sauce
  • 2 tbsprice vinegar
  • 4 clovesgarlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 wholebay leaves
  • 1 cupchicken stock
  • 1 tbspneutral oil for searing

chinese broccoli

  • 1 bunchgai lan, trimmed
  • 3 clovesgarlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbspsoy sauce
  • 1 tspsesame oil

method

  1. 1

    Pat chicken thighs completely dry — season generously with salt and pepper on both sides

  2. 2

    Heat neutral oil in an oven-safe pan over medium-high until shimmering — sear thighs skin-side down without moving, 6–8 min until deeply golden

  3. 3

    Flip briefly to color the underside, 1–2 min, then remove and set aside — pour off most of the fat leaving about 1 tbsp

  4. 4

    Reduce heat to medium, sauté smashed garlic until fragrant, about 1 min — add ground ancho and bloom 30 seconds until toasty

  5. 5

    Deglaze with soy sauce and rice vinegar, scraping up all fond — add chicken stock and bay leaves

  6. 6

    Nestle chicken back in skin-side up, skin should sit above the liquid — bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, transfer to 325°F oven

  7. 7

    Braise 2.5–3 hours until meat is completely tender and pulling from the bone — check at 2 hrs, reduce oven to 300°F if boiling hard

  8. 8

    Remove chicken, reduce braising liquid on stovetop until it coats a spoon if needed — return chicken to sauce and keep warm

  9. 9

    At service, blanch gai lan in heavily salted boiling water 60 seconds, drain

  10. 10

    Stir fry gai lan with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil on high heat 2–3 min — pull off heat while still vibrant green

  11. 11

    Lay gai lan as a base, place chicken thighs on top skin-side up, spoon braising sauce over, finish with fried shallots