How to Make Vietnamese Jellied Chicken (Thịt Gà Nấu Đông)

Prepare the Chicken

Rub the chicken with coarse salt, rinse, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

When making jellied chicken, you can leave the bones in or remove them. In this recipe, the bones are removed and boiled separately to make broth, which will be used for the jellied chicken. This method enhances the chicken's flavor and makes it easier to eat without bones.

Prepare the Other Ingredients

Grill 2 shallots and a piece of ginger until slightly charred, then peel the shallots and clean the ginger.

Peel and mince the remaining 2 shallots.

Although shallots add a wonderful aroma to jellied chicken, use them sparingly if you want the dish to last longer in the fridge.

Scrape the hair off the pork skin and trim any excess fat. Rub with coarse salt, rinse, and drain.

Rinse the shiitake and wood ear mushrooms, then soak in warm salted water for 20 minutes. Rinse again and cut the wood ear mushrooms into small squares or rectangles, and thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms. Adjust the amount of mushrooms as needed.

Peel the carrot, wash, then carve it into flower shapes and boil until cooked. Set aside. Place the carrot flowers at the bottom of the serving dish when assembling the jellied chicken for a decorative touch.

Blanch the Chicken, Pork Skin, and Bones

Boil a pot of water, adding the charred shallots, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of coarse salt. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the deboned chicken and pork skin, and blanch for about 1 minute. Remove, rinse, and drain.

Next, blanch the chicken bones for about 5 minutes. Remove and rinse them under cold water.

Place the bones in a pot, cover with water, and simmer for 30-40 minutes to make a flavorful broth.

Marinate the Chicken

While the broth simmers, marinate the chicken to enhance its flavor. Cut the chicken and pork skin into bite-sized pieces. Marinate with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt, 1/2 tablespoon of MSG, and 1/2 tablespoon of ground pepper.

Sauté the Mushrooms and Wood Ear

Add mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms toward the end of cooking, about 10 minutes before turning off the heat, to preserve their texture. Mushrooms absorb flavors, so adding them later keeps the chicken's taste intact.

Sauté the mushrooms and wood ear with a little minced shallot and oil. You can add a splash of fish sauce for more depth of flavor.

Cook the Jellied Chicken

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot, then add the marinated chicken and pork skin and sauté until the chicken is cooked through.

Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the simmered chicken broth. The liquid should cover the meat by about 2cm.

Simmer over low heat, skimming off any foam and cooking for at least 1 hour until the chicken is tender.

When the chicken is soft, add the sautéed mushrooms and wood ear. Adjust the seasoning with salt, fish sauce, and ground pepper if desired. The jellied chicken is meant to have a light flavor, as it will be served with chili fish sauce and pickled vegetables for balance.

Place the carrot flowers at the bottom of a bowl, then ladle in the chicken mixture, ensuring a good balance of meat and broth.

Once cool, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4-5 hours until the dish sets into a jelly. To serve, invert the bowl onto a plate and cut into portions.