Copycat Aristocrat South China Chicken

Copycat Aristocrat South China Chicken is a copycat recipe from Aristocrat where chicken is served in a sweet savoury Asian style gravy with ham, quail eggs and Asian greens.

I had tried this dish many years ago in their Roxas Boulevard Branch so I am not sure how accurate my copycat recipe is, so please bear with me. I am also not sure if it’s still on their menu, but it looks like it’s still available based on their website, so for those who had tried it recently, hopefully you try the recipe below as well and let me know how it compares. For me this is purely based on my recollection, it’s as close as I want it to be, juicy chicken with hints of Asian spices from the sauce.

So what exactly is this dish? Basically it is a fried or roasted whole chicken (I can’t remember what it may be, so I fried), chopped in to pieces then lightly cooked again in an sweet savoury sauce with hints of Asian spices together with ham (probably Champagne Ham or Christmas Ham), deep fried quail eggs and Asian greens. It was meant to be served on special occasions hence they usually show up during Chinese New Year in the Philippines, I think I also tried it on a Chinese New Year but regardless, during my childhood times going to Aristocrat means there is a special occasion, especially when it is on their Roxas Boulevard branch.

Where I lived before, in Project 8 there was once an Aristocrat in the corner of Muñoz, I still remember many countless birthdays I had celebrated in that place with my family. My go to order like most of the Filipinos was their popular Chicken Barbecue. While that is good, in fact one of the best chicken dishes you will try in your life, I would love to showcase this underrated dish, specially to those who haven’t tried it at the same time don’t have any Aristocrat in where they live.

Copycat Aristocrat South China Chicken

• Author: Raymund
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 6
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Filipino

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Description

Copycat Aristocrat South China Chicken is a copycat recipe from Aristocrat where chicken is served in a sweet savoury Asian style gravy with ham, quail eggs and Asian greens.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Chicken

• 1 whole dressed chicken
• oil

Brine

• 1 litre warm water
• ⅓ cup salt
• 1 tbsp sugar

Asian Sauce

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• oil

Others

• 20 pcs quail eggs
• 1 cup thick cut Champagne ham, sliced
• 1 bunch choy sum, bok choy or gailan, blanched

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Instructions

1. Combine all brine ingredients together in a large ziplock bag. Add the whole chicken, secure the ziplock then place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
2. Remove from the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Drain the chicken thoroughly then set it aside.
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying a whole chicken in a deep fryer or a large heavy pot. Once it reaches 180C deep fry chicken for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.
4. Remove from the fryer, drain then let it cool down.
5. Once cooled down, chop your chicken into pieces then set them aside.
6. In a bowl mix together chicken stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil and ground white pepper. Set it aside.
7. Heat oil in a wok, sauté garlic, ginger and shallots.
8. Bring heat to high then pour the sauce, bring it to a boil.
9. Add the ham and quail eggs, continue to boil until sauce becomes thick.
10. Add the chopped chicken, do not mix, cover the wok then simmer for 2 minutes still in high heat.
11. Turn off heat, scoop out the chopped chicken, place it in in a serving platter, top it with the sauce together with the ham and quail eggs, then place the blanched choy sum on the side.
12. Serve and enjoy!

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