Soy Sauce Braised Chicken (酱油鸡)

Ingredients

half chicken (free range) - washed and cleaned

4 eggs - boiled and peeled

1 block of fresh tofu - cut into large cubes

5 tbsp of rock sugar

2 star anise

1 stick cinnamon - about 4 cm

1 inch bulb old ginger - smashed

4 cloves garlic - unpeeled and smashed

2 stalks green onion - cut into 3 parts

1/2 tsp salt

11/2 cup water

2 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce

1 cup soy sauce (marinate chicken)

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 cup rice wine

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in 1 cup of soy sauce overnight in the fridge.  Remove chicken from sauce and set aside, reserving the sauce for braising.
2. Heat up oil in a wok over medium heat.  Saute the ginger, garlic and green onions for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add rock sugar to the wok, stirring it and letting it heat until the sugar has melted and caramelized but not burnt.
4. Add sauce, water, star anise, cinnamon and chicken and bring to a boil.   When boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes, turning the chicken once to coat it evenly with the sauce.
5. Turn off heat and let it steep for another 10 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked but tender.
6. Remove chicken from wok and let it cool slightly before chopping into pieces.
7. In the meantime, add the tofu and eggs into the sauce, braising it under medium heat for 15- 20 minutes.
8. Arrange chicken pieces, tofu and eggs on a serving plate and drizzle some sauce over it.
9. Serve with rice or noodles, with some chilli sauce and sliced cucumbers if desired.