Blanched Chicken in Eight Pieces

Name: Blanched Chicken in Eight Pieces
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 whole tender chicken; 1 cup clear soy sauce (生醬); 0.5 catty (斤) rice wine; oil for blanching

Origin: Nanjing, Jiangsu, China

Source: Yuan Mei 袁枚, 1792

Ingredients

1 whole tender chicken
1 cup clear soy sauce (生醬)
0.5 catty (斤) rice wine
oil for blanching

Instructions

Select a tender chicken and cut it into eight pieces. Heat oil to a high temperature and pass the chicken pieces through it completely, blanching them until the exterior is sealed and cooked through (炮透). Drain away the excess oil.
Add one cup of clear soy sauce (生醬) and half a catty of rice wine to the chicken. Braise over high heat (武火) until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, then remove from heat immediately. Do not add water—the soy sauce and wine provide all the moisture needed.