Braised Chicken with Mushrooms

Remove the skin from the chicken leg. Chop the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces and the chicken skin into small pieces.

Rinse the chopped chicken pieces under running water to remove any blood, then drain well.

Smash and then slice the ginger into thin strips.

Cut the garlic cloves into halves or quarters.

Cut the dried chilies into smaller pieces and remove the seeds if you prefer less heat.

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add a portion of the cut dried chilies and stir-fry until fragrant. Remove the chilies and set aside for garnish.

Add the chopped chicken skin to the wok and render until golden brown and crispy, extracting chicken oil. Remove the crispy skin pieces and set aside.

Add the sliced ginger to the chicken oil in the wok and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add the remaining dried chilies and garlic to the wok, and stir-fry until aromatic.

Add the chopped chicken pieces to the wok and stir-fry over high heat until lightly browned.

Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and oyster sauce, continue to stir-fry to combine all ingredients.

Pour in the water, then add salt, sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Cover the wok, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to cook through.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid. Increase the heat to high to reduce the sauce slightly, concentrating the flavors.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed, adding more salt, sugar, or soy sauce to your preference.

Prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Gradually add the slurry to the simmering sauce, stirring constantly, until the desired thickness is achieved.

Serve the braised chicken and mushrooms hot, garnished with the previously fried dried chilies.