Easy Chicken Drumstick Stew.

You could use this recipe for chicken thighs or chicken quarter legs. It's an easy and low maintenance recipe with the minimum care. It serves well with steamed rice. You can also cook Chinese noodles or Udon noodles and season with the cooking sauce to go with the chicken.

However, it is important to set the timer and remove the chicken on time so your chicken won't be overcooked. Total cooking time should be around 15 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• Three chicken drumsticks or thighs, or one quarter leg.
• 3 cups of water
• pinch of salt, pepper to season

Sauce option 1:

• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons of sugar
• Two teaspoon sesame oil

Sauce option 2:

• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 2 green onion, cut into sticks
• 2 red chili pepper, sliced
• 4 slices of ginger
• Two teaspoon soy sauce
• Two teaspoon sugar
• Two teaspoon sesame oil
• One tablespoon dried hot chili pepper (or one teaspoon red chili pepper flakes), optional depending on your preference for heat)

Sauce option 3:

• All items in sauce option 2
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground white pepper
• one teaspoon of Chinese fermented bean paste (dou-ban-jiang) or one teaspoon of oyster sauce (what?)

Directions:
Option 1 (Easy):

1. You could cut into the drumstick at the thickest part so the flavor can get into the flesh.
2. Rinse the chicken. If you have time, parboil the chicken in boiling water for 1 min to get rid of blood and scums. Rinse in cold water.
3. Put the chicken, onion slices, green onions, red chili pepper, ginger slices, all seasonings and water into pot. The water should cover the chicken. Taste the sauce and add salt to adjust. It should taste like a dipping sauce.
4. Bring to boil on high heat and turn to low heat, cover to simmer gently for 10 min. 
5. Turn the heat off but do not remove the cover. Let it sit in the pot for 10 min.
6. Serve with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds. 

Option 2:

1. Rinse the chicken.
2. Heat up the pan or pot and add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the chicken skin side down. Cook 5-6 min to brown. Flip to the other side and add green onions, ginger, onions and red chili pepper to brown. Cook another 5 min. 
3. Add all seasonings and water. Make sure the water covers the chicken. Taste the sauce and add salt to adjust. It should taste like a dipping sauce. 
4. Bring to a boil on high and turn to low heat. 
5. Cover with lid and simmer 5 min and turn the heat off.
6. Let it sit for 5 min covered. 
7. Serve with chopped green onions  and/or sesame seeds. 

Notes:

• The procedure is a basic stewing process (a moist-heat cooking method).
• You can vary the sauce with this same process and enjoy chicken thighs/drumsticks/legs in many different flavors.
• You can replace ginger with garlics (about 3-4 cloves, preferably sliced). 
• Don't toss away the cooking liquid. Add bean curds, kombu (soaked to soften), tofu, boiled eggs to make stewed side dishes. Or use the liquid to make salad dressing.