Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (Ma You Ji) 台式麻油雞
This Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup is rich, aromatic, and deeply warming, with ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine creating a soothing, nourishing broth.
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on chicken thighs (about 400g), cut into pieces
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
- Vegetable oil for cooking
- 10 thinly slices of ginger
- 200 ml Taiwanese rice cooking wine
- 100 ml mushroom soaking water
- 200 ml hot water (more if needed)
- A small handful of goji berries
- ½ tsp sea salt adjust to taste
- ½ tsp ½ sugar adjust to taste
- 1 tsp seasoning powder optional, enhances the flavour
- 30 ml sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the mushrooms: Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 2–4 hours, or until softened. Drain well and reserve 100ml of the soaking water.
- Render the chicken: Heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken fat renders out. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Sauté the ginger and mushrooms: In the same pan, add the ginger slices and softened shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry until the ginger curls at the edges and the mushrooms are slightly browned and fragrant.
- Flambé with wine: Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the rice cooking wine. Allow it to flambé for about 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Carefully cover with a lid to extinguish the flame.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the reserved mushroom soaking water (about 100ml), then add enough hot water to cover the ingredients. Add the goji berries, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Finish the soup: Stir in the sesame oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, sugar and seasoning powder (optional).
- Serve: Enjoy the soup on its own, or serve it with rice or noodles.
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