Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

I don’t cook a lot of Chinese food, much to my mother’s chagrin, but one dish that I do make regularly is her soy sauce chicken and potato stew.

Mum, or Mah-Mah as she’s known to the boys, has been cooking this dish for as long as I can remember.  It was always served in a square Corningware casserole dish, and my sister and I always fought over the potatoes.  Now when I cook it, I add massively more potatoes than anyone can eat, just to make sure there’s plenty to go around!

Like all recipes of this ilk, there aren’t fixed quantities to the ingredients used.  My mother always eyeballed the amounts, and then tasted before serving to see if everything was in balance.  It was always perfect.

• 1 – 1½ kg free range chicken pieces, preferably drumsticks or thighs
• Sweet dark soy sauce
• Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade, or light soy sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• lots of potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• ground pepper
• oil for frying
• cornflour (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, marinate the chicken pieces in a generous splash of sweet soy, a little Teriyaki sauce and ground pepper.  Below are the brands my mother and I use, but feel free to substitute your own.  Leave the chicken to soak for about half an hour.

2. In a large pot (I use a wok), heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic briefly, then lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade (don’t throw it out!) and add them to the pan.  Fry until the chicken is slightly crisp on the outside.  Add water to the remaining marinade and pour it over the chicken. You want quite a lot of liquid in the pot.

3. Add the potatoes, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Bring  to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered,  until the chicken is cooked, and the potatoes are fork tender.  Taste the sauce, and if necessary add more dark soy if it needs sweetness, or Teriyaki if it needs more salt.

4. Once cooked, remove the chicken and potatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in a square Corningware pot (ok, you could use any serving dish you choose).  Heat the sauce to reduce it slightly, then pour over the chicken and potatoes and serve. Alternatively, mix a little cornflour with cold water, stir it into the sauce, and bring it to the boil again before pouring over the other ingredients.

We usually serve this with basmati rice and  stir fried greens. And I’m completely content, because there’s always a potato or two left over.