Soy sauce glazed chicken necks (Jiang jibo)

Ingredients

• 1 kg cleaned whole free-range chicken necks
• 2 tbsp refined peanut oil
• 30 g yellow rock sugar
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
• 40 g fresh ginger
• 5 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 pieces fresh scallions
• 2 pieces whole star anise
• 1 piece cassia cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp whole red Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp unsalted toasted white sesame seeds
• 500 ml filtered water

Method

1. Rinse the chicken necks thoroughly under cold water and check for any remaining feathers. Cut each neck into two or three even pieces using a heavy knife.
2. Place the chicken neck pieces in a pot of cold water with some of the fresh ginger slices and a splash of Shaoxing cooking wine.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat and blanch for a few minutes, carefully skimming off the gray foam that rises to the surface.
4. Immediately drain the chicken necks in a colander, rinse them under warm water to remove any coagulated impurities, then pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
5. Heat the refined peanut oil in a wok or a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-low heat, then add the yellow rock sugar.
6. Let the sugar melt slowly without stirring vigorously, until it dissolves completely and forms a foam of fine, light amber bubbles.
7. Immediately add the dried chicken necks to the wok and toss them briskly to coat them completely in the protective caramel until they take on a beautiful golden color.
8. Add the remaining fresh ginger slices, the garlic cloves crushed with the flat side of a knife, the halved scallion whites, the whole star anise, the cassia cinnamon stick and the red Sichuan peppercorns.
9. Sauté everything for a minute until the spices become highly fragrant.
10. Deglaze by pouring the remaining Shaoxing cooking wine down the hot sides of the wok, then pour in the light and dark soy sauces.
11. Pour in the hot filtered water to partially submerge the poultry. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for about half an hour, until the meat around the bones becomes very tender.
12. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the broth, stirring constantly with a spatula to glaze the meat.
13. Continue reducing until the liquid becomes thick, syrupy and mirror-glossy, coating each piece without pooling at the bottom.
14. Transfer the hot glazed chicken necks to a shallow serving bowl, drizzle with any remaining concentrated glaze from the wok, and garnish with the toasted white sesame seeds and finely sliced scallion greens.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

438.8 kcal

Protein

62.51 g

Carbohydrate

13.54 g

Fat

13.08 g

Fibre

2.6 g

Calcium

40.42 mg

Iron

0.96 mg

Magnesium

32.05 mg