Braised Chicken with Bitter Melon

Ever tried bitter melon? It’s just like coriander. People either hate it or love it. In Chinese cooking, bitter melon is often used to stir fry or braise with all kind of meats. This braised chicken with bitter melon is very popular in Hong Kong. It tastes so good and perfectly goes with a bowl of steamed rice.

Bitter melon goes very well with chicken. My family loves this dish so much. Give it a try if you’re into bitter melon.

My mum used to tame its bitterness by putting a small piece of brown slab sugar (片糖) while cooking bitter melon. The brown slab sugar is not as sweet as regular white sugar, and gives a depth of flavours. You might like to omit it though. Some other people don’t mind its bitterness, or even enjoy it.

Braised Chicken with Bitter Melon Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Braised
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 2 (about 325 gm) bitter melon
• 350 gm chicken thigh
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp black bean garlic sauce
• 20 gm brown slab sugar (片糖), roughly chopped
• 150 ml water

Marinade:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp corn flour (corn starch)
• ½ tsp shaoxing wine
• white pepper, to taste

Thickening:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp corn flour (corn starch)
• 1 Tbsp water

Method :

1. Rinse the chicken thigh. Wipe dry. Cut into pieces. Mix with marinade for about 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cut the bitter melon in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pith from the middle with a spoon. Cut into large chunks. Mix with 2 large teaspoons of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes. Blanch in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain up. Immediately rinse with tap water. Drain well. Set aside.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wok. Add the chicken. Cook until both sides are lightly brown. You don’t need to cook through the chicken at this stage. Dish up for later use.
4. In the same wok, add some oil. Saute garlic and black bean garlic sauce. Stir in the bitter melon. Add the brown slab sugar. Toss back the chicken. Pour in water. Bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the bitter melon turns soft. Remove the lid. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the thickening and cook to your preferred consistency. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes：

• If you want to reduce the bitterness of the bitter melon, you might squeeze out its juice after mixing with salt after 10 minutes. Then blanch in boiling water.
• Black bean garlic sauce is available at Asian grocers.
• To get the best results, use chicken thighs with bones. The bones will give more flavours to the whole dish.