Yellow Braised Chicken

Pat the boneless chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then cut them into approximately 4 cm chunks.

Slice the ginger. Cut the dried chilies into small rings. For a milder dish, leave them whole or reduce the quantity.

Briefly rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms, then soak them in cold water for several hours or overnight until fully softened. Reserve the soaking liquid and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any grit. Slice the softened mushrooms.

Remove the stems and seeds from the green bell peppers, then cut them diagonally into slender, curved pieces. Peel the potato and cut it into roll-cut chunks approximately the same size as the chicken pieces.

Add 50 ml of cooking oil to a wok and heat it over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer.

Carefully add the chicken pieces and stir-fry over high heat for approximately 3–5 minutes, until the surfaces are no longer pink and begin to brown slightly.

Add the ginger slices and dried chilies. Stir-fry for approximately 20 seconds, until fragrant.

Pour 10 ml of Shaoxing cooking wine around the edge of the wok. Continue stir-frying for approximately 20–30 seconds.

Add 15 ml of light soy sauce and 5 g of white sugar. Stir-fry until the chicken pieces are evenly coated and colored.

Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and potato chunks. Stir-fry for approximately 1 minute, until evenly combined with the seasonings.

Add enough strained mushroom soaking liquid or water to come almost level with the chicken; the chicken does not need to be completely submerged. Add the ground pepper and approximately 2 g of the salt, then stir well.

Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cover the wok, reduce the heat to medium-low, and maintain a gentle simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the potato can be easily pierced with a fork.

Add the green bell peppers and stir-fry for 30–60 seconds, until they become brighter in color and are just tender while still slightly crisp.

Taste and add the remaining salt as needed. Add add 1 g of MSG, stir until evenly combined, then remove the wok from the heat and serve immediately.