Soy Braised Chicken

Sometimes when you're down and out all you want is something that tastes remotely of home. Tonight I made chicken stew. Not just any chicken stew but soy braised chicken with melting onions and spiced with cinnamon and star anise. And it tasted like a little piece of home heaven ... :)

Soy Braised Chicken

12 chicken pieces (I used leg pieces. Skin and bone the chicken if you wish but I was too lazy. The skin and bone does add extra flavour to the finished dish)
3 small red onions, peeled and roughly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3 pieces of star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp oil
5 tbsp soy sauce and an extra splash for good luck
5 tbsp oyster sauce and an extra blob for 'umph'
2 tsp sugar
150ml water

• Heat the oil in a wok on high heat.
  
• Once the wok starts to lightly smoke, turn the heat down to medium-high. Add the onions and garlic. Fry until slightly browned.
• Add the chicken pieces along with all the other ingredients except the water. Mix well to coat the chicken.
• Leave the mixture to bubble. Once the sauce begins to cook down and catch at the bottom of the wok, add the water.
  
• Put the lid on the wok and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Check half way through and if the sauce is too watery, take the lid off and continue to simmer uncovered.
• If you like your sauce thicker, add a mixture of part corn starch and water just before you take the wok off the heat. Serve with a sprinkling of sliced spring onion, pipping hot steamed rice and perhaps a veg of your choice.I made a quick stir fry of spring greens, rocket ad tomatoes.