Braised Black Vinegar Chicken

I saw this recipe of Braised Black Vinegar Chicken over at Little Corner of Mine. I love it when I find recipes for ingredients or items which I have in the pantry, but are not used frequently. In this case, Black Vinegar. The man and the boys love this dish. They love the gravy in their rice. And I'm sure my father-in-law will like this dish too, as the chicken is cooked till very soft. Good for the elderly who has problem chewing their food.

In fact, I have been cooking this dish for a while. But I just realised that I did not post the recipe on my blog! This is such a simple dish, I'm sure once you try it, you will cook it frequently! I omit the green onions, an item which I do not have in my pantry most of the time. Since the boys do not take spicy food, I left out the chilli (though I love spicy food!). Sometimes, I add some sliced carrots in to cook with the chicken.

Ingredients

8 Drumsticks, or

12 Chicken Wings (3 joint, cut and discard tip)

10pcs Black Mushroom (soften in hot water)

3 Shallots, slice

1 Small piece of Ginger, slice

2 Carrots (cubed or sliced, optional)

Seasoning

2tbsp Black Vinegar

3tbsp ABC Sweet Sauce (Kecap Manis)

1tbsp Light Soy Sauce (I use Low-Sodium Soy Sauce)

1tsp Sugar

10oz Water (I use water for soaking mushroom plus water, just enough to cover chicken)

1 tsp Sesame oil and enough vegetable/cooking oil for frying the chicken

• Wash the dried mushrooms.
• Reconstitute the dried mushrooms in hot water.
• When soften, remove the mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces.
• Pour the water for soaking the mushrooms through a sieve, to remove the impurities. Add more water to get about 10oz of fluid. Set aside the water for later use.
• In a pot, if you have a big one, add the sesame and cooking oil. I do not have a big enough pot, so I use a wok, and later, transfer the chicken drumsticks with the sauce into a pot to braise.
• When the oils are hot, add the shallots and ginger slices.
• Fry till fragrant.
• Add the chicken pieces and fry for while.
• Add the mushroom pieces and mix well.
• Add the water for soaking mushroom and water (together adds up to 10oz) and the seasonings.
• Let it boil for a while.

• If using a wok, transfer the contents into a pot and continue to let it simmer for an hour or till the chicken pieces are cooked through. Cook longer if you want the meat to be really soft.
• If you are already using a pot to fry the chicken pieces, then just let it simmer for an hour or till the chicken is cooked.
• If adding carrots, add them half an hour into the cooking time, since carrots cook faster than chicken.

A great dish to cook ahead of time. All you need to do is warm it up during dinner. Now that I have finally posted the recipe, I don't have to look for it through my long list of bookmarked recipes the next time I cook it =D Enjoy!