Soy Sauce Chicken

also called see yao gai · si yau gai · 豉油雞 · soya chicken · soy sauce chicken · lou sui gai

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Soy Sauce Chicken: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
8 cups(1.9 L)watersimmer the lou sui 20 minpoach 35 min at a shiver, turning twicerest in the pot 20 min, brush with sesame oil, chop
1 1/2 cups(360 mL)light soy sauce
1/2 cup(120 mL)dark soy sauce
1/2 cup(120 mL)Shaoxing wine
4 oz(115 g)rock sugar
3 podsstar anise
1 stickcassia bark
1 piecedried tangerine peel
6 slices(coin-sized)fresh ginger
3(knotted)scallions
3 1/2 lb(1.6 kg; rinsed and dried)whole chicken
2 tsptoasted sesame oil
Strain the lou sui rather than finishing it — a master stock is kept: chill it lift the cap of fat off boil it up every few days topping up the soy and the sugar as it goes. The ones behind the glass at the shop are older than the shop. This pot is a first pour a first pour tastes cleaner and thinner than theirs. Same recipe honestly a different thing
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.13 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1simmer the lou sui 20 min

2poach 35 min at a shiver, turning twice

goes in with what step 1 made

3rest in the pot 20 min, brush with sesame oil, chop

goes in with what step 2 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
1 hr 15 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
none of itthe rest you can walk away from

The recipe itself says 1 hr 45 min.

  1. simmer the lou sui 20 min

    20 minwalk awayfrom the start

  2. poach 35 min at a shiver, turning twice

    35 minwalk away20 min in

  3. rest in the pot 20 min, brush with sesame oil, chop

    20 minwalk away55 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.

You'll need stockpot

See how it is written
>> title: Soy Sauce Chicken
>> category: Stews & Braises
>> tags: chicken, chinese, soy sauce, poached, whole bird
>> counters: Dim Sum Counter
>> aka: see yao gai, si yau gai, 豉油雞, soya chicken, soy sauce chicken, lou sui gai
>> servings: 4
>> time: 1 hr 45 min
>> step.1: simmer the lou sui 20 min
>> step.2: poach 35 min at a shiver, turning twice
>> step.3: rest in the pot 20 min, brush with sesame oil, chop

Simmer @water{8%cups}(1.9 L) with @light soy sauce{1 1/2%cups}(360 mL), @dark soy sauce{1/2%cup}(120 mL), @Shaoxing wine{1/2%cup}(120 mL), @rock sugar{4%oz}(115 g), @star anise{3%pods}, @cassia bark{1%stick}, @dried tangerine peel{1%piece}, @fresh ginger{6%slices}(coin-sized) and @scallions{3}(knotted) in a #stockpot{} for ~simmer{20%min}, until the sugar has gone and the spices have opened.

Poach @whole chicken{3 1/2%lb}(1.6 kg; rinsed and dried) breast-down in @&(~1)master stock{} for ~poach{35%min}, the surface never past a shiver, turning it twice. Lower it in by the neck and let the cavity fill, or it will bob and cook unevenly.

Rest @&(~1)chicken{} in the pot off the heat for ~rest{20%min}, lift it out to drain, brush it with @toasted sesame oil{2%tsp}, and chop it through the bone into pieces to serve.

Strain the lou sui rather than finishing it — a master stock is kept: chill it, lift the cap of fat off, and boil it up every few days, topping up the soy and the sugar as it goes. The ones behind the glass at the shop are older than the shop. This pot is a first pour, and a first pour tastes cleaner and thinner than theirs. Same recipe, honestly a different thing.