Braised Chicken With Smoked Ham, Chestnuts, And Ginger

Ginger and Shaoxing rice wine give a deep, round intensity to chicken, turning it into something sumptuous. The salty savor of country ham and chewy, dense chestnuts help make each forkful a hit.

Yield:

Serves 8

Ingredients

1. For the Marinated Chicken:
2. =======================
3. 2 3/4 cups water
4. 12 dried Chinese black mushrooms
5. 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
6. 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
7. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
8. 2 teaspoons sugar
9. 1 cup sliced ginger
10. 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry Oloroso Sherry
11. 1/4 cup dry white wine
12. 2 small chickens (2 1/2 to 3 lb), each cut into 6 pieces (legs, thighs, and breasts without backbones)
13. .
14. For Cooking the Chicken and the Sauce:
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16. 2 tablespoons corn oil
17. 1 tablespoon plus 2 Tsp kosher salt, divided
18. 1/4 cup finely julienned peeled ginger
19. 1/2 cup dry white wine
20. 3/4 cup Shaoxing wine or dry Oloroso Sherry
21. 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
22. 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp cold water, divided
23. 3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
24. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
25. 1 teaspoon white pepper
26. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
27. 7 to 8 oz bottled roasted chestnuts
28. 1/4 lb thinly sliced country ham or speck

Directions

1. MARINATE CHICKEN 1 DAY AHEAD:
2. Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir in mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard stems, then chill mushroom caps, covered, until ready to braise chicken. Stir remaining marinade ingredients into mushroom liquid, then add chicken and marinate, chilled, stirring occasionally, 1 day.
3. BROWN CHICKEN IN 3 BATCHES AND MAKE SAUCE:
4. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry (discard marinade).
5. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Just before browning each batch of chicken, sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt. Brown, skin side down first, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp oil from skillet, then reduce heat to medium-low and sauté ginger, stirring, 1 minute (do not brown). Add white wine and Shaoxing and boil until reduced by three fourths, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining 2 tsp kosher salt and bring to a simmer.
7. Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 Tbsp cold water and whisk into sauce, then boil 1 minute.
8. BRAISE CHICKEN
9. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a 6- to 8-qt heavy pot (place white meat on top). Add sauce, chestnuts, and reserved mushroom caps. Gently simmer, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes.
10. Cut breasts in half and return to pot. Add ham. Gently simmer 3 minutes more.

Notes

Braised chicken can be made 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat before serving.