Soy Sauce Chicken

From the magazine Super Food Ideas. Cooking time doesn't include standing time. Note that you can use either Chinese rice wine (Shao hsing) OR dry sherry. I found the rice wine at an Asian grocer's.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  whole chicken, 1 . 8kg
• 6  green onions
• 4  cm  piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1⁄2 cups soy sauce
• 1  cup  chinese rice wine, or
• 1  cup dry sherry
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3  star anise
• 3  cinnamon sticks
• 1⁄2 cup fresh coriander leaves

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken inside and out under running cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Trim off the excess fat. Cut 4 of the onions into 4cm pieces, finely slice the remaining 2 onions.
2. Place 5 cups of water, large onion pieces, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, star anise and cinnamon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chicken breast side down. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, cover and stand for 50 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken and drain reserving half a cup of cooking liquid. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon over the reserved liquid and scatter with coriander and sliced onions. Serve with rice and steamed Asian greens.