Braised chicken with taro and aged tangerine peel on rice
Chicken thigh braised with floury taro and aged tangerine peel until the sauce turns rich and glossy — one pot, little oil, warming and filling.
- 45 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-damp types tend to feel heavy, phlegmy and sluggish in early winter. Taro strengthens the spleen and resolves phlegm and aged tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp; braised with chicken until soft and full of flavour, it's a one-pot dish that needs little oil and warms without weighing you down.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min- 1Cook the rice. Marinate the chicken with the light soy sauce, cornflour and a pinch of sugar for 15 minutes. Peel the taro and cut into chunks.
- 2Heat the oil in a wok and fry the taro until lightly golden. Remove.
- 3In the same wok, fry the ginger, shallots and tangerine peel until fragrant, then add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes colour.
- 4Return the taro, add the dark soy sauce and water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until the taro is soft and the sauce has thickened. Serve with the rice.
Cautions
- Cook taro right through — raw taro sap can make your mouth and throat itch.
Chef's tips
- Frying the taro first helps it hold its shape during braising and gives a more floury texture.
The TCM view
Taro is sweet, pungent and neutral, strengthening the spleen and stomach and resolving phlegm; aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, moving qi and drying damp; chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle and supporting qi; ginger and shallots are pungent and warm and disperse cold. It strengthens the spleen and clears phlegm without being rich.
