Rose-Infused Soy-Braised Chicken

玫瑰豉油鸡

Rose-Infused Soy-Braised Chicken — CantoneseFoshan home cooking.

Ingredients

• whole chicken (about 1.2 kg), cut into serving pieces
• dark soy sauce
• dried food-grade rose buds
• garlic
• scallions

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken pieces and soak in cold salted water (10 g salt per 500 ml water) for 30 minutes to draw out blood and improve tenderness.
2. In a deep pot, combine dark soy sauce, rose buds, garlic, scallions, and 1 L water. Bring to gentle simmer over medium heat.
3. Add chicken pieces, skin-side down. Bring liquid back to a bare simmer (small bubbles barely breaking surface), then reduce heat to lowest setting. Cover and braise 45 minutes.
4. Turn off heat. Let chicken cool fully in braising liquid—minimum 1 hour, ideally 2 hours—for deep flavor absorption.
5. Remove chicken and strain liquid through cheesecloth into a clean bowl. Discard solids. Skim fat, then reduce strained liquid over medium-high heat until syrupy (about 8 minutes). Cool slightly, then pour over sliced chicken. (Liquid coats the back of a spoon and leaves a slow, ribbon-like trail)