Soy Sauce Chicken

Method

1. 1

   Put the soy sauce, honey, water, ginger, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and Shaoxing in a pot that holds the chicken in one snug layer. Bring it to a simmer and stir until the honey dissolves.

2. 2

   Add the chicken, skin side down. The liquid should come about halfway up the pieces. Add a little water if it does not. Return it to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Turn the pieces. Cover and cook until the thickest thigh reads 165°F at the bone, usually another 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let the pot boil hard. A hard boil tightens the meat and makes the skin split.

4. 4

   Turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the covered pot 15 minutes. Lift it out and spoon a little of the sauce over it. The sauce is salty. It is a glaze, not a soup you drink by the bowl. Fish out the star anise and the cinnamon.

From the kitchen

• If the sauce tastes harsh, it reduced too far. Loosen it with a splash of water before you spoon it on.
• The sauce keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for three days. Skim the fat and use it once more for another pot of chicken, adding water if it has become too salty.