Clearing all the freezer food and found that I have some chicken pieces left from drumsticks stock that I have made 5 weeks ago. Thought best use it as it’s not good to keep too long. Thawed it and continued to clear and clean the freezer. Making sure no food passed more than 6 weeks old still inside.

Went to Chinatown to get frozen lotus, disappointed could get it instead got two different colour capsicum, green vegetables and some minced pork. Came back and thought just cook capsicum and the chicken will do with rice. I have written down the drumsticks stock recipe below. Do the stock in advance. When drumsticks had cool, remove the meat and use it to cook with capsicums.

 This is my lazy type of cooking, simple with chicken pieces that are still edible and not wasted. It’s great to use ready at hand chicken pieces and create a new dish. The chicken pieces already have the flavour from stock and added some extra caramelised flavour does give me a comfort, and delicious dinner with rice and a cold Tsao Sing beer. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

Drumsticks stock

12 drumsticks
4-6 c water, just enough to cover the drumsticks slightly above 1”
4 garlic cloves
1 c extra water (OPT)
1 Tsp chicken powder stock (OPT)
1 ” ginger
salt
black peppercorns

Vegetables

2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
250 g frozen chicken pieces, thawed
1 red capsicum, cut bite size
1 green capsicum, cut bite size
5 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs Shao Xing wine
2 Tbs black matured vinegar
2 Tsp cornflour plus 1 Tbs water
3 Tsp light soy sauce
salt
pepper

Method

Do chicken stock in advance

In a pot, add drumsticks, 4 c water and bring it to a simmer on low heat about 35 minutes. As it simmers, skim the foam (impurities) off the top with a fine-mesh skimmer or a spoon. When it is done, strain stock through sieve into another pot (I usually line it with a muslin cloth).

Add remaining stock ingredients into pot with drumsticks. Simmer very gently for 1-2.5 hours. The longer the stock, the more flavour it will have, but the drumsticks will lose flavour. Remove the drumsticks from the pot once it has cooked.

Let it cool and remove meat from bones. Keep in an airtight container in fridge. Add in 1 extra cup of water and powder stock into stock. Bring it to boil for more stock and check seasoning. Switch off hob. When the stock had cool completely, spoon into sterilized jars with tight lids, label name and date make before you refrigerate them.

When you want the chicken pieces, use a clean dry spoon to scoop the amount you want. You can add the chicken pieces with anything. At least you have ready cook meat. Save you time. You can freeze them if you want to keep them for more than 4 weeks to 6 weeks.

To cook the vegetables and chicken pieces

Heat saucepan on medium heat, add oil and garlic. Cook for 35 seconds, then add chicken pieces, warm up for 5 minutes. Next add sugar, continue cooking for 2 minutes until it starts becoming sticky.

Then add both capsicums, Shao Xing wine, and vinegar and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Followed by soy to balance the sweetness, cook for 30 seconds, until the sauce is at a simmer. Then add cornflour mixture. Stir for about 20-30 seconds until the sauce coats the chicken pieces and vegetables. Serve it with rice and Tsao Sing beer. Enjoy!!!

Note: You may use peanut oil. You may use fresh lotus root and any vegetables you like. You may use mirin instead of Shoa Hsing Chinese cooking wine. You can use normal black vinegar. You can use white sugar.

https://helenscchin.com/2022/03/10/chicken-with-capsicums/

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