Ga Kho Trung Cut (Braised Chicken with Quail Eggs and Pepper), No Added Refined Sugar
Vietnamese dishesBraised DishesNationwide30 minutes to prepare, 25 to 35 minutes to cook
Braised chicken with quail eggs goes a long way with rice: the chicken turns soft in the glossy brown braising liquid, the quail eggs soak it up, and pepper gives a gentle heat. The tricky parts are peeling the quail eggs without cracking them and keeping the braise loose enough to spoon over rice.
The chicken sits with pounded shallot and ginger for only 5 minutes, then gets 5 minutes in the pan to firm up before the eggs and seasonings go in. Only half a bowl of coconut water or water goes in, and 15 minutes of braising brings it to a glaze.
This batch weighs about 891g, at roughly 145 calories per 100g.
Method
Boil the 20 quail eggs for 7 minutes, soak them in cold water for 5 minutes, then peel them very gently so they do not crack.
Peel the shallots and ginger, chop them, then pound them to a paste.
Rinse 400g of chicken thigh in lightly salted water, cut it into bite sized pieces, and season it with the pounded shallot and ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 5 minutes.
Set a braising pot on the stove, heat the oil, add the seasoned chicken, and stir fry over medium heat for 5 minutes until the meat firms up and smells good.
Once the chicken has firmed up, add the quail eggs, 2 teaspoons of nuoc mau, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, along with 1/2 bowl of water or coconut water.
Turn the heat high to bring it to a boil, then lower it, cover, and braise 15 minutes. Once the liquid starts to thicken, take the lid off, taste and adjust, sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, and stir gently so the eggs take on the sauce.
Tips
Searing the quail eggs in a little oil before braising keeps them whole and helps them take on the sauce.
Leaving a little liquid in the pot rather than cooking it dry is what makes it good over rice.
Cold water right after boiling makes the quail eggs very easy to peel.
Pepper goes in at the end, since added early its aroma cooks away during the braise.
Fry the chicken until the skin turns golden before the water goes in, since skipping that leaves the braising liquid flat and fishy.
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.