Steamed Anise Chicken
Submitted by appledumplin
Chicken breasts marinated in lime, soy sauce, brown sugar, and star anise, then gently steamed and drizzled with a reduced glaze. A fragrant, light Asian-inspired chicken dinner with bold anise flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
80 minCOOK
20 minREADY
100 minIf you’ve never cooked with star anise, this fragrant steamed chicken is a gorgeous place to start.
Boneless chicken breasts soak in a lime-soy marinade sweetened with brown sugar and spiked with star anise and crushed red pepper. Then they steam over water infused with lime peels and more star anise, filling your kitchen with the most incredible aroma.
The reserved marinade cooks down into a glossy, concentrated glaze you spoon over each piece. Light, clean, and deeply flavored.
Kitchen Tips
- Star anise is available at most Asian grocery stores, but crushed anise seed works as a substitute in a pinch
- Marinate for at least an hour at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the fridge for deeper flavor
- Steam the chicken covered tightly for about 20 minutes and check that it’s no longer pink in the center
- Reduce the reserved sauce slowly until it’s thick and syrupy, about 2 tablespoons worth
Ingredients
Directions
Squeeze the juice out of the limes.
Reserve the peels.
Measure 3 tablespoons juice.
In a small saucepan, combine the lime juice, brown sugar, 2 star anise, crushed red pepper, soy sauce and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool.
Put the chicken in a glass dish and spoon half of the soy mixture over, turning to coat.
Marinate at room temperature 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for longer marination, up to 24 hours.
When ready to steam the chicken, put the lime peels, 2 star anise and about 8 cups water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
Fit a steamer basket or rack over the top.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the leftover marinade, and place in the steamer.
Cover tightly and steam about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
In a small saucepan cook down the remaining soy mixture until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
(You can add a little water if you reduce the mixture too much.) Spoon over the steamed chicken.
Note: Star anise is a dried spice with a pungent, licorice flavour.
It can be purchased at most Asian groceries.
You can substitute ½ teaspoon lightly crushed anise seed for 2 star anise, although the flavour will not be as distinctive.
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