Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Recipe | 麻油雞

Hi guys, it's Angel. So before we start, I have a little story for you. The other day I was talking with my grandfather about Cao Te Ge, which is the Taiwanese pronunciation for what in Mandarin translates to free-range chicken. And I was asking him what's so special about Cao Te Ge. He starts to tell me about his hometown in Taiwan where he was a farmer and they had chickens running around everywhere. And I remember visiting him when I was younger and I remember seeing a chicken on top of their rooftop. And I thought that image was just so memorable to me that that's what I think of today when I think of Taiwanese chicken. Anyways, in today's video I'm going to show you guys how to make Taiwanese sesame oil chicken, which in Mandarin is known as ma yo ji, which is a very traditional and popular dish. And thankfully we don't have to go all the way back to Taiwan for the main ingredient of this dish. Asian specialty chickens are produced right here in British Columbia. These chickens are raised to Canadian standards and are available at most neighborhood grocery stores, especially where there's a large Asian population. So with that, let's jump right in and get started. For the ingredients, we'll need some black sesame oil, rice wine for cooking, ginger root, and one whole Taiwanese chicken. First, start by cutting up the chicken into small bite-sized pieces with the bone on. Leaving the bone on will make this dish more tasty. Now the Taiwanese chicken itself that we're using has a firmer texture than your standard chicken and is flavorful and healthy. Depending on how many people you're serving and how big your chicken, you can use the whole chicken for this dish or save the other half for another recipe. Next, prepare two four-inch pieces of ginger root. Give those a good rinse and dry with a paper towel before cutting into circular slices, leaving the skin of the ginger root on. Now it's time to cook. In a preheated wok, add two tablespoons of sesame oil, and it's totally okay to eyeball it here, and add in the ginger slices. Stir-fry on medium heat for a minute and let the ginger infuse into the oil. Next, add two more tablespoons of the sesame oil and then the chicken pieces. Continue to stir-fry and allowing the chicken to cook and brown for three to five minutes. Here you can feel free to add more sesame oil if desired. The taste profile is really up to you. When the chicken is just browned on the outside, turn off the heat and set it aside. Transfer the chicken to a new pot and add in filtered water and rice wine, enough just to cover the chicken. Today I'm using half a bottle of rice wine with the rest of the chicken covered in water. Now while this may seem like a lot of rice wine, some people, especially new moms, use an entire bottle. And if you're wondering why, it's because this dish with the rice wine, ginger, and sesame ingredients are traditionally believed to be warming and nourishing to help the body recover more quickly after childbirth. That's why it's super popular for new moms. Finally, bring everything to a boil and simmer for eight to ten minutes or until the chicken is tender and done. Now for a quick taste test. I love how the flavors of the sesame oil and the ginger just come really well together. And the chicken is so tender and juicy. You guys have to try this recipe. So that's how you make Taiwanese sesame oil chicken or mayo chi. It's really good served family style. I like to eat the chicken with rice and then drink the soup later. Or you can cook this with noodles and make this a noodle soup dish. I'm Angel. Thank you guys so much for watching. For more authentic Asian recipes made simple and fun, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel Angel Wong's Kitchen. I love you guys. Take care and I will see you in the next video. Bye for now!