Tau Eu Kay (Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken) Recipe

Tau Eu Kay (Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken) 

Recently the lovely Sonia from Nasi Lemak Lover presented me with some gifts, including a book called “nonya flavours: A complete guide to Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine.” The book contains over 150 authentic nonya recipes. I don’t know if I will be able to make all the recipes but I thought a good place to start would be one of the easiest recipes.

The recipe looks really basic and simple but the outcome is really really delicious. I have eaten and also cooked something similar many times but the non-nonya version which had little or no sugar. Perhaps the version I had was from mainland China and the nonya’s added sugar.

The recipe does not state whether the chicken pieces should be left with the skin on. In the photo I could see the skin and I presume most Chinese/Asian chicken dishes are made with the skin on. Personally I would recommend cooking with the skin since the fat and collagen from the skin helps thicken the gravy and add flavor. If you are concerned about eating skin, note the following:

- chicken has about 10% fat content so if you eat a piece or two of chicken with skin, the total fat in grams is not that much

- the skin does contribute a lot to flavor and texture of the gravy. Try to eat less fat during the day, have unbuttered toast and skip a few cookies, cakes and brownies. It will be well worth the sacrifice

- do some exercise after the meal. I cannot confirm whether this will be good for you or not but at least it will make you feel better

- the gravy contains some of the fat. If you don’t consume all the gravy, you are reducing your fat consumption

The gravy is really delicious. What I did was freeze the leftover in ice cube trays. This will be an excellent flavor base.

Ingredients

1kg free range chicken, cut into pieces

80 grams sugar (or more or less depending on your taste)

2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

40 grams ginger, thinly sliced

2 cups water

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with sugar, soy sauce, pepper and salt for at least 30 minutes before cooking

2. Place the wok over medium high heat and add water, ginger and the chicken pieces

3. Bring to boil and simmer until chicken pieces are tender and the gravy is thick, about 30 minutes. Top up with more water if the stock dries up

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