Its been ten years since I left my apartment in Beijing. Just thinking about my year abroad brings a smile to my face. So many new experiences… So many new friends… and so many delicious dishes.
At the time that I lived in Beijing it wasn’t really legal for foreigners to live outside of housing that was designated for foreigners. But I didn’t want a watered down China experience. I wanted to live life like the locals, so I bought a motor scooter and started looking for traditional chinese housing. It was hard to find someone who would take me in, as most of the Chinese people I know hate to break the rules. But, eventually, I was lucky enough to share a high rise apartment with a warm and friendly Beijing fashion student, Songzi, who eventually became my dear friend. Who would have known that ten years later, I would be the Godmother to her son and we would still be in touch? I would have never guessed it, but I couldn’t have planned it any better.
One of the reasons why I loved living with Songzi was because she loved to cook and she was willing to let me stand over her shoulder and watch what she was doing. This recipe is a tribute to Songzi.
I wasn’t smart enough to write down the ingredients and steps that Songzi used to make her culinary masterpiece, so this is my take on her famous Cola Chicken dish. I hope it makes you as happy as my memories of living in Beijing make me happy.
Ingredients
24 chicken wings and drummettes
3 tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
25 oz cola
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 cm fresh ginger grated
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Fry the chicken pieces in the oil and soy sauce until browned.
2. Turn down the heat and add the ginger and the garlic to cook for a few minutes.
3. Sprinkle with brown sugar and allow it to caramelize.
4. Pour half of the cola in the pan with the chicken and simmer until the cola has reduced. Add the remaining cola periodically until the chicken is cooked through (usually 25-30 minutes depending on the temperature of your pan). Once the chicken is cooked through, let the sauce reduce down to a thick, syrupy consistency and add the salt and pepper, to taste. Serve over rice.