Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters, or 8 chicken thighs
• 2 Tbsp. neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
• 4 slices fresh ginger, ¼-inch thick and smashed with the side of your knife
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, white and green portions separated
• ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• ¼ tsp. ground white pepper
• ½ tsp. sesame oil

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken and trim off any excess fat. This recipe calls for whole chicken leg quarters, but you can cut them into drumsticks and thighs for easier handling in the wok if desired.
2. Heat the neutral oil in your wok or a large frying pan over medium high heat, spreading the oil around to coat. Place the chicken skin-side-down in the pan carefully, and sear for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Next, flip the chicken and add the smashed ginger slices to the bottom of the pan. Let both sides of the ginger slices cook and caramelize in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Next, add the garlic slices and white portions of the scallions. Let fry in the oil for a minute. Use a metal spatula to ensure the chicken is not stuck to the wok, but be gentle so as to not break up the chicken skin.
5. Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, and let cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Stir until well combined and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
6. Use tongs or chopsticks to turn the chicken quarters and let cook for another 15 minutes. There should be quite a bit of sauce in the pan.
7. Next, uncover the chicken and check the temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. Alternatively, you can just poke the thickest part of the chicken leg quarter with a fork–the juice should run clear. If so, remove the chicken to a plate and cover with tinfoil.
8. Add the green portions of the scallions to the sauce, and cook uncovered to reduce the liquid until it just begins to coat a spoon. At this point, you can be the judge of how thick or thin you want your sauce to be. Turn the heat up to reduce the sauce if you like yours on the thicker side. If necessary make a cornstarch slurry and add to the sauce to thicken. (It was necessary for us.)
9. Once the sauce is thickened, add the chicken back to the skillet and cover for about 3-5 minutes.
10. Serve the chicken, all of that luscious gravy, and the cooked down garlic, ginger, and scallions over a bed of white rice with your favorite veggies. Stir-fried bok choy or garlicky broccoli are great choices.

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