Sake-Steamed Chicken and Kabocha Squash

Name: Sake-Steamed Chicken and Kabocha Squash
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 dried chiles de árbol, seeded, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 cup sake; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks; 2 (8-ounce) skin-on or skinless, boneless chicken breasts; Kosher salt; 1/4 small kabocha or red kuri squash, seeded, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick half-moons, then sliced in half again; 2 scallions, sliced on a diagonal, plus more for serving

By Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

January 1, 2016

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Photo by Peden & Munk

The secret to juicy, tender, delicately steamed white-meat chicken and squash? Going slow.

Recipe information

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

dried chiles de árbol, seeded, crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

cup sake

(2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks

(8-ounce) skin-on or skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

/4 small kabocha or red kuri squash, seeded, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick half-moons, then sliced in half again

scallions, sliced on a diagonal, plus more for serving

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

Step 1
Combine chiles, sake, and 1 cup water in a pot. Fit with a steamer basket and arrange ginger in basket. Season chicken with salt and place in steamer basket, skin side up; add squash and 2 sliced scallions. Cover pot and steam chicken and squash over medium heat, adding more water by 1/4-cupfuls if needed, until squash is tender and chicken is just cooked through, 16–20 minutes.
Step 2
Remove steamer basket from pot and bring liquid to a boil. Cook until flavors are concentrated and liquid thickens, 6–8 minutes (you should have about 3 Tbsp.).
Step 3
Slice chicken and arrange on plates with squash. Pour steaming liquid over and top with additional scallions.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Recipe notes