Red-cooked Chicken

Red-cooked Chicken

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs), trimmed of excess fat

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons minced or grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

3 whole star anise

½ cup dark soy sauce

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, 5-8 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the pan begins to scorch.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining chicken. Transfer the chicken to the plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. (Add additional oil to equal 1 tablespoon, if needed.)

Add the garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and star anise and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice wine, sesame oil and brown sugar, scraping up any browned bits.

Nestle the hard-cooked eggs and chicken, along with any accumulated juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes for the breasts (160 degrees to 165 degrees) or 1 hour for the thighs and drumsticks (170 degrees to 175 degrees), turning over the chicken and eggs halfway through cooking to ensure even coloring from the sauce. (If using both types of chicken, simmer the thighs and drumsticks for 40 minutes before adding the breasts.)

Transfer the chicken and eggs to a serving dish, tent loosely with foil and let rest while finishing the sauce.

Remove and discard the star anise. Skim as much fat as possible off the surface of the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and eggs and serve.

Serves four to six.

"The Best Chicken Recipes" by Cook's Illustrated (2008 America's Test Kitchen, $35)