Chinese · All year

Steamed Ginger Shiitake Chicken

Thighs steamed with soaked shiitake and ginger. The mushroom water becomes the sauce. No fry, and no sesame oil.

45 minutes · Serves 6 · One platter

Steamed chicken thighs with shiitake and ginger

“You prepare a table before me.”
Psalm 23:5

Ingredients

6 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 lb bone-in chicken thighs
6 slices of ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 scallion, cut into lengths

Method

Making Steamed Ginger Shiitake Chicken: Cover the shiitake with hot water and soak 20 minutes, until they are soft. Squeeze them, slice them, and… — Cover the shiitake with hot water and soak 20 minutes, until they are soft. Squeeze them, slice them, and…

Making Steamed Ginger Shiitake Chicken: Steam over simmering water, covered, 25 to 35 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 165°F at the bone. A… — Steam over simmering water, covered, 25 to 35 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 165°F at the bone. A…

1
Cover the shiitake with hot water and soak 20 minutes, until they are soft. Squeeze them, slice them, and save 1/4 cup of the soaking water. Stop pouring before the grit at the bottom of the cup.
2
Put the thighs in a heatproof dish in one layer. Tuck the ginger and the mushrooms around them. Stir the soy sauce, honey, and the 1/4 cup of mushroom water, and pour it over.
3
Steam over simmering water, covered, 25 to 35 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads 165°F at the bone. A hard boil under the dish toughens the meat. Keep it at a simmer.
4
Scatter the scallion over the hot chicken. Spoon the juices from the dish over each plate. If the juices taste thin, pour them into a small pot and simmer 2 minutes. Do not reduce them to salt.

From the kitchen

Boneless thighs work. Start checking them at 18 minutes so they do not sail past 165°F and dry out.
Fresh shiitake can stand in. Use 8 ounces, skip the soak, and add 1/4 cup of chicken broth instead of the soaking water.

My note

Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.

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