Easy Chinese

Chinese master stock

Name: Sam Young's Chinese master stock recipe
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /chinese
Ingredients: 4 chicken marylands (or 1.6kg chicken); 40.00 ml fennel seeds; 40.00 ml black peppercorns; 2 dried bay leaves; 50g cassia bark (from Asian grocers, substitute 3 cinnamon quills); 10 whole star anise; 40.00 ml vegetable oil; 3 red shallots (substitute eschalots), thinly sliced; 10g ginger; 60ml mirin; 1 bunch long green shallots, cut into 4cm lengths; 300ml light soy sauce; 250ml soy sauce; 150g yellow rock sugar (from Asian grocers, substitute 120g white sugar); Boiled eggs, to serve (optional); Sliced chilli, to serve (optional); Shiitake mushrooms, to serve (optional); Noodles, to serve (optional)

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by Sam Young

SAM YOUNG, CHEF

Aug 22, 2024

Good things come to those who wait, and the same rule applies in Sam Young's Chinese master stock recipe. Here, the chef reprises a traditional Chinese recipe showcasing a wide collection of fresh and fragrant ingredients that, with time, develop into a rich and flavoursome stock to use on repeat. Forget stock cubes - this master stock recipe may be the holy grail you never knew you needed.

4 chicken marylands (or 1.6kg chicken)
2 tbs fennel seeds
2 tbs black peppercorns
2 dried bay leaves
50g cassia bark (from Asian grocers, substitute 3 cinnamon quills)
10 whole star anise
2 tbs vegetable oil
3 red shallots (substitute eschalots), thinly sliced
2cm piece fresh ginger (10g), sliced
1/4 cup (60ml) Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)
1 bunch long green shallots, cut into 4cm lengths
300ml light soy sauce
1 cup (250ml) dark soy sauce
150g yellow rock sugar (from Asian grocers, substitute 120g white sugar)
Boiled eggs, to serve (optional)
Sliced chilli, to serve (optional)
Shiitake mushrooms, to serve (optional)
Noodles, to serve (optional)

Method

1.

Rub the chicken with salt flakes and set aside for 1 hour, to dry out skin. Meanwhile, toast all the dry spices in a large frypan over medium heat until fragrant.
2.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add red shallot and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add toasted spices and wine and stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape the base of the pan.
3.

Add green shallot, soy sauces and sugar and 2L water, and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chicken and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Stand stock and chicken, covered, for 15 minutes to rest.
4.

Using tongs, remove chicken from stock. Using a chef’s knife, cut chicken into desired portions and place in a large serving bowl. Strain stock (discarding solids), then pour over the chicken. Serve immediately with eggs, chilli, mushrooms and noodles, or your choice of ingredients.

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Recipe Notes

The master stock gets better over time. In restaurants, they have it slowly simmering on the go. At home, strain it and store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. You can thaw it, bring to the boil and freeze it again. As it ages, the flavour gets stronger. You can also serve it with a ginger shallot sauce, rice and sliced red chilli (if you like a bit of heat), or in a noodle soup with Asian greens, tofu and mushrooms. You can also poach a whole small chicken in this stock. Add the chicken to the stock and bring to the boil over high heat. Simmer for 10 minutes then cover with a lid, remove from the heat and stand for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken has cooled in the hot liquid and has finished cooking.