Soya Braised Chicken Legs

These oven-braised chicken legs are fall-off-the-bone tender, flavourful and so versatile that you can serve them with a wide range of sides, from classic steamed jasmine rice, chow mein, buns, and stir-fried vegetables to fresh salads. And the bonus? You just need one pan to have this delicious meal ready in less an hour. If you can’t find Chinese Shaoxing rice wine, use dry Sherry in a 1:1 ratio. However, it is worth noting that there is also a small amount of wheat or barley starters/yeast in Shaoxing rice wine. So it’s not gluten free.


1 tbsp Chicken schmaltz 4 Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs Freshly milled black pepper 1 Red onion, peeled and sliced 2-inch piece Ginger, peeled, grated 5 Garlic cloves, chopped 180 ml Chinese Shaoxing wine (preferably jiafan) 180 ml Chicken stock or water 150 ml Less sodium gf soya sauce 1 tsp Sesame seeds, toasted 1-2 Spring onions, thinly sliced Snow peas or bok choy, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat chicken schmaltz. Season chicken with freshly milled black pepper. Add chicken legs to skillet, skin side down and cook until golden, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Do this in two batches if necessary.
In same skillet over medium-high heat, cook sliced onion, ginger, and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Shaoxing wine and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Add stock or water and soya sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil. Nestle chicken legs, skin side up, in the skillet.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake chicken, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 85-90C/185-195F, about 40 minutes.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. Serve with snow peas or bok choy.