Soy chicken is Andrew’s favourite dish to cook and eat. And as a poached dish it sits apart from all the other roasted meats of the Chinese roasting kitchen. How does residual heat work to cook this chicken perfectly and how is this different from sous vide? How did Chinese chefs cook slowly at low temperatures in the past without technologies such as thermostats? How does this boost the dish’s health-giving qualities and what is the medicinal or flavouring function of the aromatics sealed in with the chicken as it gently cooks?
Andrew’s roast meat section [siu mei] in one of his kitchens. The soy chickens are cooked whole in residual heat in a solution of soy sauce, sugar and medicinal aromatics. The soy chickens hang with other - roasted - meats.
Intro and outro music: 遊子 [wanderer] by mafmadmaf.com
Love this episode! I came here to try and get an answer to the blotchy skin problem and you did not disappoint, now I need to source these glandless chooks! Thank you for advocating the artisanal practices in Cantonese cuisine and for highlighting how discerning and particular we are about our food. It is time that our cuisine’s vocabulary and techniques become more widely recognised and appreciated.
Really enjoyed this episode - I've enjoyed them all, but thought you might like to hear that :) Really liked the surprising facts about the seemingly simple soya sauce and the fascinating insight in to the skill that goes into a dish that looks so understated, but is so delicious. Fond memories of soy chicken noodle soup in Guangzhou, HK and Macau.
Speaking of which, as you're asking for ideas and queries from us audience, I've often wondered if you both agree that chicken feet, as a dish, can be a step too far for some diners in the UK (possibly anywhere outside of south-east Asia?) and why that might be. It's not like British food, historically and currently, isn't packed with all sorts of tasty innards and extremities - oxtail soup followed by liver and onions anyone? Chicken feet are incredibly delicious but I can't even get my excellent local butcher to get them in for me to try and cook them myself.
Love this episode! I came here to try and get an answer to the blotchy skin problem and you did not disappoint, now I need to source these glandless chooks! Thank you for advocating the artisanal practices in Cantonese cuisine and for highlighting how discerning and particular we are about our food. It is time that our cuisine’s vocabulary and techniques become more widely recognised and appreciated.
Really enjoyed this episode - I've enjoyed them all, but thought you might like to hear that :) Really liked the surprising facts about the seemingly simple soya sauce and the fascinating insight in to the skill that goes into a dish that looks so understated, but is so delicious. Fond memories of soy chicken noodle soup in Guangzhou, HK and Macau.
Speaking of which, as you're asking for ideas and queries from us audience, I've often wondered if you both agree that chicken feet, as a dish, can be a step too far for some diners in the UK (possibly anywhere outside of south-east Asia?) and why that might be. It's not like British food, historically and currently, isn't packed with all sorts of tasty innards and extremities - oxtail soup followed by liver and onions anyone? Chicken feet are incredibly delicious but I can't even get my excellent local butcher to get them in for me to try and cook them myself.
Anyway, thanks again
Patrick x