There are many ways to make chicken thighs, ginger slicing, deep-frying, brining, soup and so on. Here we recommend a quick way to make casserole - oyster sauce chicken thighs, suitable for working people.

List of ingredients

[Main ingredients]

Chicken pipa legs: 3 pieces, about 450g (reference price during the epidemic: 17.8 yuan, coordinates Wuhan, March 2020).

Trivia: Pipa legs, especially drumsticks have only the lower part (shaped like a pipa). The counterpart to this name is the pistol leg, which is a full chicken leg that includes both upper and lower parts.

[Ingredients]

5 to 8 slices of ginger.

[Seasoning]

Sugar; 2 oyster sauce; 3 soy sauce; salt.

Specific process

Step 1: chicken thigh pretreatment

Clean up to remove excess fat: use scissors (it is recommended that there is a special pair of scissors for processing ingredients at home, especially practical) to cut off the excess fat from the outer skin of the chicken thighs (according to personal preference, do not mind, you can omit this step), and then use tap water. Wash and drain the chicken thighs;

Puncture holes in the chicken thighs with a toothpick or other needle, such as an embroidery needle or a large head pin. The purpose of piercing the holes is for the seasoning to penetrate the muscles of the chicken thighs better when marinating and collecting the juices. Try to cover the entire chicken thigh when piercing the holes, and the holes should be spaced moderately apart.

Step 2: Marinate the chicken thighs

Pour about 10 ml of soy sauce, about 5 ml of oyster sauce, 1/3 tsp of salt and 1/3 tsp of sugar into the cleaned and evenly pierced chicken thighs. Mix well with your hands, spread evenly over the chicken thighs and leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the oyster sauce chicken thighs in a casserole dish over low heat

(1) Spread 5-8 slices of ginger on the bottom of the casserole dish;

(2) Place the marinated chicken thighs side by side in the casserole dish, then pour in the same volume and quantity of seasoning as in the marinade (about 10 ml of soy sauce, 5 ml of oyster sauce, and a spoonful of white sugar). The only difference is that you don't need salt this time. Add the water, and the water should drown the chicken thighs.

(3) Cover the casserole, high heat until the casserole sauce boils, simmer for 20 minutes to collect the juice, casserole oyster sauce chicken thighs is ready. Note: The duration of simmering over low heat is subject to the actual collection of juice.

Matters needing attention

When hitting chicken thighs with a toothpick, it is difficult for the toothpick to penetrate the skin due to the toughness of the skin. So it is recommended to open the chicken skin and stick the toothpick directly into the muscle of the chicken thigh, or use an iron needle to make holes, which is more convenient and quick. In addition, as the chicken meat is slippery, sticky holes should be safe to avoid sticky hands.

Place the ginger on the bottom of the casserole, partly to help the food smell fishy, and partly to insulate the bottom from some of the immense heat that can scald chicken thighs.

After the sauce comes to a boil in the casserole, be sure to turn it into a slow cooker to collect the sauce so that it can maximize the penetration of the sauce into the chicken thighs. If you use high heat, the juices evaporate quickly and don't achieve the desired effect, making it easy to overheat and sear the chicken thighs. The juices should not be collected too dry, leaving a little bit of sauce will not only make the chicken thighs more tender, but also can be used as a dipping sauce when you eat the chicken thighs.

Related Q&A

What is oyster sauce? What is the purpose of oyster sauce in daily cooking?

A: Oyster sauce, as the name suggests, is a condiment made from oysters. Its main ingredients are oyster sauce, water, table salt, sugar, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), which can be said to have the roles of both salt and MSG. Oyster sauce can be used to marinate meats with a deodorizing effect. Using oyster sauce in stir-fries, stews, or salads can add freshness and flavor to the dish.

Q: What is the difference between stewing in a casserole and an iron pot?

A: A: Casserole has poorer thermal conductivity than iron pots, so it keeps the food warm and insulates better than iron pots. So casserole is more suitable for cooking food for a long time, such as cooking most broths and stewing all kinds of meat. Due to the high heat conductivity and good sealing performance, the food can be at a higher temperature, so the time for stewing food is greatly reduced. However, the texture and flavor of food made in an iron skillet is not as good as a casserole, and ingredients tend to burn easily because of the high temperature. Therefore, if you have enough time, you can choose casserole, if you are in a hurry, you can choose iron pot (such as pressure cooker, rice cooker).

The above are my recommended methods and tips for making Oyster Sauce Chicken Thighs in Casserole. I hope it will be helpful to you!