GINGER ANISE CHICKEN

Taking the lid off the jar of star anise and inhaling deeply you’re hit with a hedonistic smell that’s both uplifting, warming and familiar. We all have our own idea of the perfect comfort food and what elements make is so comforting to us, well Ginger Anise Chicken is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. My step-father made it for the family back home in Australia and now I make it for my family and friends here in America. I made this on my Canadian television show – Simple, Fresh, Delicious and have had several requests to share the recipe here. So here it is…

It’s a combination of star anise, soy sauce, some Chinese cooking wine and the honey – a few simple ingredients, that give the chicken its rich, deep flavor and licorice-like aroma. Even people who don’t like aniseed have tried this recipe and love it so I encourage you to give it a go. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, it’s inexpensive and can easily be frozen and reheated if you have any leftovers or want to use it for some batch cooking.

Star anise is the most beautiful looking spice with its star-like shape. It can be found in Asian markets, in many supermarkets and of course online. Serve Ginger Anise Chicken with steamed jasmine rice and some greens such as beans or broccoli. Toodles, love Lovoni xo

I love using bone-in chicken thighs in my recipes: here are a few more…

• Easy Apricot Chicken
• Easy Green Peppercorn Chicken
• Indian Roast Chicken and Cauliflower

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5 from 1 vote

GINGER ANISE CHICKEN

This is my idea of comfort food, served simply with steamed jasmine rice and green beans or broccoli.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time26 mins

Total Time36 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 6

Calories: 203kcal

Author: Lovoni

Equipment

• wok or large, deep frying pan

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
• 2 inch piece of ginger, julienned
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup dry sherry or Chinese cooking wine
• 1/4 cup salt reduced soy sauce I prefer Kikkoman
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 star anise
• 6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• Thinly sliced green onions and steamed rice, for serving

Instructions

• Heat a large wok over low heat. Add the oil, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until for 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add the broth, sherry, soy, honey, pepper and star anise; stir to combine. Add the chicken. Bring to boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for about 25 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove the star anise before serving if desired, I think they look pretty left in if you’re serving this on a platter, family style. For individual servings, remove the star anise. Serve with rice and scatter green onions over the top.

Notes

If your sauce isn’t thick enough – I like lots of sauce for the rice, then cook the chicken a further 5 to 8 minutes, uncovered, to allow the sauce to evaporate and thicken slightly or combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (cornflour) with 1 tablespoon of cold water in small bowl and add to chicken, stirring until the sauce is thickened. Serves 4 to 6.

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg