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The Ultimate Soya Sauce Chicken

Posted on July 1, 2020June 27, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 4 Comments on The Ultimate Soya Sauce Chicken

Every Chinese family has their version of the classic soya sauce chicken, but when I saw a photo of Alfred Lam’s rendition, I immediately wanted his recipe.

Look at that glistening honey-brown skin! I bet that got you drooling.

Now, scroll down and check out this cross-section of the meat.
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Look how moist and juicy the chicken meat is … drool!

Holy smokes! You can tell even without tasting it, just how juicy and moist the chicken is. This is because of a very special technique.

“Soaking in the sauce with the stove turned off ensures the chicken is juicy and tender and gives the sauce a chance to penetrate the meat.”

Alfred adds, “This soya sauce chicken is more on the sweet side then the salty side. I got the recipe from my dad, who got it from his friend. According to my mom, I make a better chicken than he does!”

Alfred is a long time friend of mine. We used to be neighbours in Kota Damansara. On the few occasions that he cooked, the smell would sometimes waft out from kitchen into the corridor when I walked past his unit. To cut a long story short, that’s how we became friends lah. Alfred can probably name more banana leaf rice and Chinese tai chow restaurants than I can, but surprise, surprise, he’s not Malaysian.

Alfred is actually born in Hong Kong and Canadian by citizenship, but after spending so many years here, he has grown to love Malaysian food and people so much that he calls himself a Malaysianized Canadian. “My first meal arriving in Malaysia would be banana leaf rice or nasi lemak!” Very Malaysian indeed!

Having worked in numerous countries, Alfred has become quite the versatile cook. Not surprisingly, some of his lar sou (signature dishes) carry Hong Kong influences, such as borscht – a tangy traditional soup made with vegetables – and all kinds of fried rice and noodles typically found in Hong Kong style cafes a la Kim Gary.

Now that he has returned home to Canada, these days he tends to recreate food that he misses, improvising when he has to. During lockdown, he even tackled curry noodles and nasi lemak with rendang!

I have to ask: what’s one dish in Canada that we should try if we were to ever visit?

“Poutine! It is fresh French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy. The heat from the fries and the gravy melts the cheese and the whole dish is divine.”

Soya Sauce Chicken

Alexandra Wong
This classic Chinese soya sauce chicken has deep savoury-sweet notes and moist tender meat thanks to a special technique that preserves its juiciness
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Deep pot

Ingredients
  

Base sauce

  • 1 bottle light soya sauce
  • 1 bottle dark soya sauce
  • 1 box rock sugar

Chicken

  • 1 chicken (precut or whole is fine)
  • 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soya sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions
 

  • Boil base sauce ingredients in a pot over low to medium flame until sugar dissolves. Adjust to taste.
  • Marinate chicken in dark soya, light soya, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine, cornstarch & sugar for one hour. (See Recipe notes 1)
  • Transfer marinated chicken into base sauce in the pot. Make sure you pour the marinade into the sauce as well. Bring to the boil. (See Recipe notes 2)
    Cover and turn off stove. Let pot sit covered for an hour to allow the chicken to cook through.
  • Boil the leftover sauce and let cool. Bottle and freeze for next time.

Notes

  1. The marinade ingredients should be able to lightly cover the whole chicken.
  2. The sauce is on the sweet side, so at this point, you should taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if you like. 
  3. The recipe produces enough sauce to cover a whole chicken. You can adjust accordingly. Also, the sauce can be reused, and usually tastes better with age!

For more delicious Asian-style chicken dishes, try my braised turmeric chicken.

Post Views: 1,889
Chinese, Other Home Cooks, Poultry, Side dish Tags:chicken, Chinese cooking

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Comments (4) on “The Ultimate Soya Sauce Chicken”

  1. hoongmooi says:
    July 5, 2020 at 8:12 pm

    5 stars
    Decided to try out your recipe today. It was a hit in the family albeit not as good looking as yours 😂 Love the sauce!

    Reply
    1. Alexandra Wong says:
      July 6, 2020 at 8:11 am

      Yay! So glad it worked and thank you for letting me know :))

      Reply
  2. Mei says:
    June 16, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I’m making this now, Alex. I substituted rock sugar for honey and brown sugar in the base sauce, not as sweet but smells good nonetheless 🙂

    Reply
    1. Alexandra Wong says:
      June 17, 2021 at 11:12 am

      Yay! Thank you for trying it out, Mei Mei! Yes, the original recipe is on the sweet side. Very indulgent, so when I do make it, I also adjust the sweetness level according to the diners’ tolerance to sugar.

      Reply

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Who’s Ipohbunny, lah?

Welcome!

I’m Alexandra Wong, a self-taught Malaysian home cook on a mission to simplify and healthify recipes using affordable quality ingredients. I am a writer by profession, mostly known for my feelgood stories about people, travel and food.

ipohbunny

I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacr I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacred territory.

My mum used to make it. Her cakes were wondrously crumbly and moist, and filled with so many goodies (We Ipoh people call it "toh liu") that nothing sold outside has ever, ever come close. 

Until @grumpyoldman_bakes

I didn't plan on ordering his cake, honestly. But I'd had to rush back to Ipoh for an emergency, and after some very stressful days, I figured I deserve a cake. Cakes make everything better right?

I'd read him waxing lyrical about his carrot cake and against my better judgement, I decided to order one. Gulp, risky. But what's life without some risk?

He was so sweet and helpful in his interactions, and even tolerated my unnecessary rambling (I express to destress). 

When I popped the box lid open, I gasped at how pretty it was. The whole cake was covered in thick frosting and topped with fresh walnuts. 

And then I cut a slice for mum and was even more shocked. You could see the grated carrot and nuts - it was so generous portioned - but the proof was in the tasting. MUm's tasting, to be exact.

She took a  bite and smiled approvingly. "It's so moist inside!"

That is the HIGHEST compliment, in my opinion, one can ever pay a carrot cake. So many out there guilty of dry, pebbly abominations. 

I took a bite and immediately noticed how fresh it tasted. And, I realised, tears springing to my eyes, how close it was to Mum's version, which I last ate more than 20 years ago. 

Thank you Chris for awakening these wonderful memories. 

#carrotcake #grumpyoldmanbakes #ipohbaker #homebaker #ipohhomebaker
I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlo I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlocked

It was not bad, just too salty but I have an idea where I went wrong

1. I initially soaked the slab of fish in a mixture of salt, sugar, star anise, peppercorn - and pickle juice because one of the chef recipes indicated so. 

2. However, when I read some other recipes, I realised none of them recommended soaking the fish in any liquid. In fact the salt is supposed to draw the liquid out of the salmon. True enough, when I checked the salmon after 18 hours, I found the flesh was still soft and raw. I suspected the culprit was the brine, so I poured it away. 

3. Then I packed on some more salt and wrapped it tightly in cling film and poked holes to let the liquid drain. I did it this way because I feel nervous about putting a heavy slab on top of the fish - scared the weight will break the fridge shelves!

4. Anyway, I think my method worked because after 36 hours, the flesh had firmed up visibly so I knew curing had taken place. Yay!

5. I could slice it quite easily, even though I didn't have a sharp knife. However, it was definitely too salty. More Googling. Turns out that I should use coarse kosher salt, instead of regular table salt otherwise the salmon would be too salty. Ah.

All in all, a pretty decent effort for a first timer. One more notch on my culinary belt :)

Edit: Just had an idea. I can always make salmon pate. By mixing the salmon with other ingredients, I redistribute the saltiness, so the salt is less concentrated. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPUfeKMpdGB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

#salmongravlax #homemadegravlax #homecooking #Malaysianhomecook #cookwithipohbunny #ipohbunnyrecipes #fish #easyrecipe
OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram bait - and I'm an unapologetic Gen Xer with the heart of a #cafehopping Gen Z-er 😀

I wanted to come since spotting it on @penangfoodie So did half the Penang Gen Z population too. Though I think my hubby and I probably increased the median age by at least 20 years when we stepped in, haha! 

Flat white (RM14) and hot chocolate (RM16) were watery. Cakes looked generic, so didn't feel like trying. Hope the food will improve, cos the place is damn gorgeous.

Nice for people watching. 

#penangcafes #penangfoodie #cafehoppg #coffee #coffeegram #malaysiancafes #cafegram #cafespotting
@oowhitecoffee So did this super popular upmarket @oowhitecoffee

So did this super popular upmarket kopitiam live up to the hype?

One sentence: Come for the coffee. Which is really what made this place famous. Mum kept raving about how good her "kopi oh ping" was and my Kopi ais was excellent too. You can take away the coffee in convenient bottles too, which I found out is quite common in Penang outlets with a strong coffee brand like Stall 76 Batu Lanchang, SBK Concept etc. 

Other pros: clean, comfortable, elderly-friendly environment. When asked how his chicken hor fun was, Dad commented, "Tastier than the Ipoh version." He downed the whole bowl of soup! Both their HK and Portuguese egg tarts were well made. 

The cons: Mum was not impressed with the hokkien mee. In fact, I have yet to find one in Penang that meets her sky-high standards. As for my nasi lemak I believe I can cook better sambal and rice lah 😅 (thank you @che_nom) though the tasty fried chicken made up for it. Hubs' tan chi (softboiled egg over buttered toast) was nothing to shout about but he did say the bread was good, as it was soft and had body, like brioche. 

Be forewarned. If you arrive after 8am on a weekend, good luck to you circling around the area looking for parking. I dragged my parents out at 7.20am. We came before twice at 9+am and lunchtime, both unsuccessful because there was just no parking in the vicinity. Oh and expect higher than average Penang prices, though I think KL folks won't feel much pain paying RM10+ for a bowl of noodles 😂

#oowhitecoffee #foodblogger #Malaysianfoodblogger #kopitiam #penangfood #Penangkopitiam #Malaysianfoodie #penangcafe
After trying out so many famous #Nyonyarestaurant After trying out so many famous  #Nyonyarestaurants, Bibik's Kitchen remains my undisputed No 1 choice. Yes, it's not so well known nor does it appear on that many "best of" lists, but that's because the food here is cooked home-style. Nor are they active on socmed. 

Meaning the taste is not so commercial because there is no msg, no excessive amounts of salt or chilli - the dishes are made using generations-old family recipes.

And guess what? One of the most critical foodies I know gives it the thumbs-up. My mum :)

I was nervous about bringing her because as a terrific cook herself, her standards are damn high. But she was sold after her first bite of her favourite dish  #otak-otak, which she praised for its super smooth texture, subtle flavours with a strong but not overwhelming fragrance of daun kaduk. "Mum's otak-otak also tastes like this," she commented, referring to herself la. Translation: that's the pinnacle of praise 🤣

Otak2 aside, Bibik's chicken dishes are some of the best. This round, I haven't found Penang any chicken #karikapitan that comes close, and the #inchikabin is superb as well. 

And if you come for lunch, you must try the #Nyonyakuih here, which is actually sold in Kuih by Bibik, run by the Mum Girlie on nearby Lebuh Clarke 

Kuih by Bibik's is THE BEST Penang #nyonyakuih I've eaten - and only a few ppl know because the Nyonya Girlie makes it in very small batches. Unlike the commercially made versions, you can really taste the difference in terms of the quality of ingredients. My mum and I can both make Nyonya kuih (OK I can only make kuih bingka) so we know our stuff lah :p

#penangfood #nyonyacuisine
One of the more delicious discoveries I've made re One of the more delicious discoveries I've made recently in Ipoh, @hyggebakehouseipoh is a cosy #Ipohbakery making their own #shokupan (fluffy and soft while retaining a nice bite) #sourdough and all kinds of cakes, cookies and desserts, including one of the best #brownies I've eaten - very chocolatey and almost as fudgy as @718pizza (which also makes a killer giler-fudgy brownie). Luckily the cafe is quite far from my house, or else very dangerous for my diet haha. Proud too that the quality of bakeries in Ipoh is Comparable to KL. The inside-flowy basque cheesecake at @girliescafe
remains my all time favourite.

Glad I followed your recommendation @milockosong 🤗

#Ipoheats #Ipohcafes
No chicken? Eat duck lor :P Stumbled across @what No chicken? Eat duck lor :P

Stumbled across @whattheducksetia when it was a quirky little cafe on Nagore Road many years ago. Was so impressed by the quality of the food - its fine dining but at such humane prices.

Today, we visited its new incarnation at Setia Spice and the food is as tasty as ever. 

Hubs had the set dinner of duck confit (delectable! I actually crunched the bones!), passion fruit tea, soup and dessert while I had the spicy Indonesian bek bek pasta.

Man, I miss this ❤️

#whattheduck #duckconfit #penangfood #duck
Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you rea Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you really feel like eating chicken rice but can't be bothered with the whole song and dance to make proper chicken rice.

Your lifesaver? This super handy, super tasty Bentong ginger paste that I discovered in a market in Pulau Tikus market!!

What else you'll need?
1) Chicken rubbed with salt
2) Chicken stock
3) Rice

That's it!! 

Now, everybody knows that for good chicken rice, the RICE is probably more important than the chicken itself.  It's got to be a flavour bomb, literally. So how do you achieve that?

This is where the magic of the Bentong ginger paste comes in.  Aside from ginger and garlic, it's also seasoned with oyster sauce, salt, etc as well as oil which has been flavoured with all those seasonings. What I did was scoop up a few tsp of the flavoured oil, mix it with the rice and chicken stock, cook it in my rice cooker, and voila, chicken rice! Simple kan?

As for the chicken, just steam it with the ginger paste for 20 minutes and voila, the most delicious chicken rice with just three ingredients!

#3ingredientrecipes #kitchenhack #Chinesecooking #chinesecuisine #homecook #Malaysianhomecook #homechefs #weeknightdinners #easyrecipes
It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed three eggs, the Chinese classic comfort food. I got myself a century egg and salted duck egg from the Batu Lanchang market so decided to make it again.

How do you get flawless steamed 3 eggs?

1. Use an egg: liquid ratio of 1: slightly less than 2. Yes, 2 is the gold standard but I found it just a little on the side of watery so a bit less will do the trick. For the liquid, you can use either water or stock. If you use water, just season more.

2. Whisk the egg mixture until lump free before steaming. 

3. When you are ready to steam, place the egg custard on the steaming tray only when the water is boiling already. Then reduce to medium low and steam for 10 min.

If you have any other good tips, pls leave them in the comments below :) 

#Chinesecooking #homecook #homecooking #eggs #eggdishes #healthyeating #steamedeggs #foodie #Malaysianhomecook #vegetarian #eggrecipes #vegetarianrecipes
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