When I was a teenager, my mom made this dish frequently with bottled sauce. Over the last several years, Portuguese chicken has popped up on the menus at Hong Kong style cafés. It’s essentially a curry and I decided to recreate it at home.
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
6-8 chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
6 small carrots, chopped into 1½ – 2 inch sized pieces
3 potatoes, chopped into 1½ – 2 inch sized pieces
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon turmeric
¾ cup chicken broth (1½ cups if using Stovetop)
1 400ml (14 fl oz) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Salt to taste
For the Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ShaoHsing wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, soy sauce, ShaoHsing wine, sugar, ginger and cornstarch. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a minimum 30 minutes.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- Using an electric pressure cooker, press Sauté and adjust it to high heat. Once the pot is hot, add oil. Brown the chicken skin side down for about 3 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Discard the marinade.
- Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add carrots and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping the brown bits to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you go. Add coconut milk, chicken and any drippings.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
- Once the cooking is done, quick release the pressure.
- Press Sauté to simmer the sauce. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Heat through until sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
Stovetop
- In a dutch oven, on medium heat, add vegetable oil. Brown the chicken skin side down for about 3 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Discard the marinade.
- Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add carrots and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping the brown bits to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you go.
- Add coconut milk, chicken and drippings, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until carrots and potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Heat through until sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
Portuguese Chicken
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs bone-in skin-on
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 small carrots chopped into 1½ – 2 inch sized pieces
- 3 potatoes chopped into 1½ – 2 inch sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ cup chicken broth 1½ cups if using Stovetop
- 1 400 ml 14 fl oz can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Salt to taste
For the Marinade
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ShaoHsing wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, soy sauce, ShaoHsing wine, sugar, ginger and cornstarch. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a minimum 30 minutes.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- Using an electric pressure cooker, press Sauté and adjust it to high heat. Once the pot is hot, add oil. Brown the chicken skin side down for about 3 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Discard the marinade.
- Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add carrots and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping the brown bits to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you go. Add coconut milk, chicken and any drippings.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.
- Once the cooking is done, quick release the pressure.
- Press Sauté to simmer the sauce. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Heat through until sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.
Stovetop
- In a dutch oven, on medium heat, add vegetable oil. Brown the chicken skin side down for about 3 minutes. Turn over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Discard the marinade.
- Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add carrots and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and turmeric and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping the brown bits to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as you go.
- Add coconut milk, chicken and drippings, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until carrots and potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water and stir the slurry into the sauce. Heat through until sauce thickens. Season with salt to taste.