Original: English

Chicken with Black Vinegar Sauce

A recipe for an authentic black vinegar-style sauce made with seasonings you likely have at home. Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, stir-fry with vegetables, and coat with a special sweet and tangy sauce for an exquisite Chinese-style dish. It's a dish that will make you want to eat a lot of rice.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp Vinegar, 2 tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce, 1 tbsp Honey, 1/2 tbsp Sugar, and grated garlic from 2 cloves. Mix well. This is the key! Using fresh garlic will enhance the flavor. Two types of sweetness add depth to the taste.
🕒 00:19
Prepare 50cc of Red Wine to be used later.
🕒 01:07
Cut 1/2 Onion horizontally into two, then slice into 5mm thick pieces. This is the key! Cutting ingredients to a uniform size ensures even cooking and prevents sogginess. Making slits prevents the edges from becoming too large.
🕒 01:22
Remove the stems of 3 Bell Peppers by pushing them in with your finger, cut lengthwise, and remove the white pith.
🕒 01:54
Lightly crush the stemmed bell peppers with your hands, flatten them, and then cut them into 5mm thick slices, similar to the onion. This is the key! Crushing them by hand provides stability and makes them easier to cut.
🕒 02:22
Trim the tough ends from 3 Shiitake Mushrooms, separating the stems and caps. Cut the caps to a similar size as the other vegetables, and slice the stems thinly for easy stir-frying. This is the key! Discard the tough stem ends as they are hard and not as tasty.
🕒 02:40
Carefully remove any yellow fat, blood clots, or cartilage from 1 Chicken Thigh (360g).
🕒 03:13
Pierce the entire surface of the chicken (especially areas with sinew) with a fork. This is the key! This helps it cook faster and breaks down the sinew, making it more tender to eat. Pierce the back side as well.
🕒 03:33
Pat dry any excess moisture from both sides of the chicken with a paper towel. This is the key! Surface moisture can cause a gamey smell and dilute the flavor, so always pat it dry.
🕒 03:53
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. This is the key! Keep the size uniform so it can be eaten with the vegetables.
🕒 04:12
Sprinkle Salt over the entire surface of the cut chicken to season. This is the key! Since you'll be coating it with potato starch, season a bit stronger than usual for a clearer flavor.
🕒 04:32
Add a suitable amount of Potato Starch to a bowl (or plastic bag), add the chicken, and coat thoroughly. This is the key! If you use too little potato starch, it won't coat well, so add it generously.
🕒 04:45
Place the chicken skin-side down in a cold frying pan. Heat over low to medium heat without adding oil. This is the key! Spread the skin out well to prevent it from becoming tough and chewy. Be careful as too high heat will cause it to burn. Once the pan is warm and sizzling, cook for 3 minutes.
🕒 05:11
After 3 minutes, flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes.
🕒 05:44
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan temporarily.
🕒 05:55
Wipe out any leftover potato starch or other residue from the pan with a paper towel. Once clean, heat over medium heat.
🕒 06:00
Lightly oil the frying pan, and once the oil is hot, add all the cut vegetables and stir-fry.
🕒 06:11
Sprinkle Salt over the vegetables for seasoning. Stir-fry until the onions become translucent. This is the key! Overcooking will make them mushy, so stop cooking when the onions are translucent.
🕒 06:22
Temporarily remove the vegetables from the pan just before they are fully cooked.
🕒 06:41
Heat the frying pan over medium heat, add the prepared Red Wine, and reduce it thoroughly while letting the alcohol evaporate. This is the key! Thoroughly reducing the wine concentrates its umami and prevents a lingering wine flavor.
🕒 06:48
Once the red wine has reduced, add the prepared sauce mixture and bring to a boil to allow the flavors to meld.
🕒 07:14
First, add the stir-fried vegetables to the boiling sauce and coat them. This is the key! If you add the chicken first, the potato starch will cause the sauce to thicken too much. Always coat the vegetables first.
🕒 07:23
Once the vegetables are coated with the sauce, add the chicken and stir-fry until the potato starch dissolves and the sauce thickens. This is the key! Mixing up the order of adding the chicken and vegetables will change the final result, so be careful.
🕒 07:34
Once the sauce is evenly coated and thickened, it's ready.
🕒 07:53
Plate the dish.
🕒 08:01