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Huangmen jimifan
Braised chicken rice
Huángmèn jī mǐfàn (黄焖鸡米饭): Jinan braised chicken with shiitake and green pepper over rice
ChineseHuangmen jimifan began in Jinan, in Shandong, and spread to thousands of little clay-pot shops across China where office workers queue at noon for a bubbling pot of chicken braised dark and glossy with shiitake, ginger and green pepper, eaten over plain rice. It reheats perfectly in a work microwave. The common mistake is using breast, which goes dry and stringy in the braise; bone-in thigh stays juicy. Chef's tip: caramelise the rock sugar in the oil before the chicken goes in, which gives the sauce its amber colour without extra dark soy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb bone-in chicken thighschopped into 4 cm pieces, or boneless thighs in chunks
- 8 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked in 300 ml hot water for 20 minutes
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlicsmashed
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 green peppercut into chunks
- 2 dried red chillies (optional)
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine riceto serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Squeeze 8 dried shiitake mushrooms dry, keeping the soaking water. Cut off the stalks and halve the caps.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a medium-low heat, add ½ oz rock sugar or brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes until it melts and turns amber.
2 minStep 3: Turn the heat up, add 1 ½ lb bone-in chicken thighs and stir to coat in the caramel. Fry for 4 minutes until browned on the outside.
4 minStep 4: Add 4 slices fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic and 2 dried red chillies and stir for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, the mushrooms and enough soaking water to come halfway up the chicken (about 250 ml, poured off the grit).
Step 5: Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F at the thickest part, with no pink near the bone.
20 minStep 6: Add 1 green pepper and cook uncovered for 3 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and the pepper is just tender. Serve over 1 ⅓ lb cooked jasmine rice. For lunch boxes, cool quickly, refrigerate and reheat until piping hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does huangmen jimifan take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of rock sugar or brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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