Ga Ham Bia (Chicken Stewed in Beer with Shiitake), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener

Name: Ga Ham Bia (Chicken Stewed in Beer with Shiitake), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Nationwide
Ingredients: Chicken thigh 8; dried shiitake mushroom 100g; fresh beer 330ml; shallot 1; garlic 4 cloves; ginger 1 piece; red chao (fermented bean curd) 2 pieces; soy sauce 2 tablespoons; oyster sauce 1 tablespoon; salt 1 teaspoon; kOBE Monk Fruit Blend 1 teaspoon; black pepper 1 teaspoon; spring onion to garnish

Vietnamese dishesStewsNationwide30 minutes marinating, 20 minutes stewing

Ga ham bia gives you meltingly tender chicken in a glossy sauce that smells of red fermented bean curd and mushrooms. The beer loses its bitterness in the pot and leaves behind a warm malty note.

The challenge is getting the seasoning into the middle of a thick thigh. A few small holes pricked into the thighs before marinating solve that. Dried shiitake needs only about 20 minutes of soaking, since longer leaves the mushrooms limp and takes away their bite.

This batch weighs about 2.2kg, at roughly 177 calories per 100g.

Nutrition (this recipe makes 4 servings)

177kcal

12.7gprotein

12.4gfat

0.2gsugar

The sweetness here comes from kOBE Monk Fruit Blend. There is no added refined sugar.

Estimated from raw ingredients; the real numbers shift a little depending on how you cook and what you buy.

This batch makes 4 servings. This batch makes about 4 servings of two thighs each. Divide the mushrooms and sauce evenly between 4 bowls and serve with steamed rice.

Ingredients for the batch

Chicken thigh 8
dried shiitake mushroom 100g
fresh beer 330ml
shallot 1
garlic 4 cloves
ginger 1 piece
red chao (fermented bean curd) 2 pieces
soy sauce 2 tablespoons
oyster sauce 1 tablespoon
salt 1 teaspoon
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend 1 teaspoon
black pepper 1 teaspoon
spring onion to garnish

Method

Pull off any remaining down from the 8 chicken thighs, soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes, rinse and drain. Prick small holes all over the thighs with a bamboo skewer or a fork.
Soak 100g dried shiitake mushroom in warm water for 20 minutes until soft, rinse and squeeze dry. Peel and thinly slice the shallot and garlic, scrape and slice the ginger, and chop the spring onion.
Marinate the thighs with 2 pieces red chao, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend. Mix well and leave for 30 minutes.
Lay the sliced shallot, garlic and ginger across the base of a pressure cooker and add all the marinated thighs.
Pour in 330ml beer and spread the shiitake over the top. Close the lid and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Open the lid, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Spoon into a bowl and scatter over the spring onion.

Tips

Small holes pricked into the thighs before marinating carry the seasoning into the meat.
Dried shiitake needs about 20 minutes in warm water. Longer soaking leaves it limp and takes away the bite.
The settled mushroom soaking liquid poured into the pot deepens the flavor of the sauce.
Red chao mashed smooth before marinating coats the chicken skin evenly.
The kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so mix the marinade again after 5 minutes.
The last 5 minutes with the lid off let the beer cook away and the sauce thicken.

Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?

The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.

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