Pollo al Sillao - Chicken in Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 (1.2 kg)chicken thighs, with skin
• 5chives
• 1red pepper
• 1 (3 cm piece)root ginger, grated
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 60 ml (4 tablespoons)soy sauce
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)oyster sauce
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)lime juice
• 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon)ground cumin
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)pepper
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)honey
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)oil, such as corn or soya
• 120 ml (½ cup)chicken stock
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)cornflour
• 190 g (1 cup)rice
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons)oil
• 1garlic clove
• 7.5 ml (1½ teaspoons)salt
• 530 ml (2¼ cups)water, for the rice
• 4yellow potatoes
• 1.9 litres (8 cups)water, for the potatoes
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)roasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the marinade

   In a small bowl, combine the grated ginger, crushed garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, honey, cumin and pepper. Stir until evenly mixed. Divide each chicken thigh into two pieces and put them in a glass bowl.

2. 2

   Marinate the chicken

   Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade, rubbing it into the skin. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If short on time, you can skip this wait.

3. 3

   Prepare the vegetables

   Wash the pepper, remove its stem, seeds and veins, then cut it into sticks about 5 cm long and 0.8 cm wide. Wash the chives, trim off and discard about 0.4 cm at the root end, then cut the rest into 5 cm lengths.

4. 4

   Brown the chicken

   Take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then place the chicken skin-side down against the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   Dissolve the cornflour in the chicken stock. Add this mixture, the salt and the cut chives to the pot, then stir. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes before turning off the heat. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed, bearing in mind that soy sauce can be salty.

6. 6

   Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice first. Over medium heat, warm the oil in a small pot with the garlic clove and a pinch of salt, stirring, then add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes. Add all the water and raise the heat to maximum. Cook uncovered for about 7 minutes, until the surface is dry, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for another 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.

7. 7

   Boil the potatoes

   Bring 8 cups of water with a teaspoon of salt to the boil over high heat. Peel the potatoes and put them straight into the boiling water to prevent browning. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until soft when tested with a toothpick. Drain and cut into slices about 2 cm thick.

8. 8

   Plate and serve

   Serve a cup of rice with a few potato slices, the chicken, soy sauce and vegetables. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and add some chives on top if you like.

What is pollo al sillao?

Pollo al sillao is a Peruvian chicken dish whose name refers to sillao, or soy sauce. It reflects the Chinese culinary influence found in Peruvian cooking, pairing a soy-based seasoning with familiar local accompaniments.

This version brings together chicken marinated with ginger, garlic, lime and sauces, then served with rice and potatoes. The marinade builds flavour while the simple sides make it a complete plate.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 772 calories, 28g protein, 80g carbs, 38g fat.

The rice and potatoes provide most of the carbohydrates, while the chicken contributes protein and the chicken skin and cooking oils supply much of the fat. Serve the listed portion with extra vegetables alongside if you want a plate with more vegetables without changing the main recipe.

Why the marinade matters

Ginger and garlic: grating the ginger and crushing the garlic helps them mix evenly into the soy, oyster sauce, lime and honey. Coat the chicken well, including its skin.

Marinating time: the recipe allows 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge. It can be skipped if needed, though the chicken will have less time to take on the marinade's flavour.

Get the chicken browned

Skin side down: place the chicken skin directly against the hot pan so it browns as directed. Give it about 5 minutes on each side.

Sauce finish: mix the cornflour into the stock before adding it to the pot, then cook the chicken and chives covered for 5 minutes. Taste before adding more salt, since the soy sauce contributes saltiness.

Cook the rice in stages

Rinse first: washing the rice removes excess starch, as the recipe specifies. Briefly cooking it with the oil and garlic comes before adding the water.

Watch the surface: cook uncovered for about 7 minutes, until the surface looks dry. Then cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 7 more minutes.

Check the potatoes

Straight into the water: add each peeled potato to the boiling water as soon as it is peeled to help prevent it browning. Keep the pot covered while they cook.

Tenderness cue: after about 15 minutes, pierce a potato with a toothpick. Drain the water once it is soft, then slice the potatoes about 2 cm thick.

Serve it as a full plate

Rice and potatoes: the recipe serves the chicken over rice with potato slices alongside. Add the soy sauce and vegetables to the plate as directed.

Final touch: finish with roasted sesame seeds, and add extra chives on top if you want. Serve while the chicken and sides are warm.

Recipe notes & tips

• Keep the chicken covered in the fridge while it marinates.
• Use a glass bowl for marinating the chicken, as directed.
• Cut the pepper and chives into even lengths for a more uniform finish.
• Rinse the rice before cooking to remove excess starch.
• Taste the chicken sauce before adding extra salt.
• Peel the potatoes close to when you put them in the boiling water.

Variations

• Extra chives: add some over the finished chicken as suggested in the recipe.
• Pepper strips: keep the pepper in thick sticks so they remain distinct in the dish.
• More lime: add a little extra lime juice to the marinade for a sharper citrus note.
• Rice timing: prepare the rice while the chicken is marinating to make use of the waiting time.
• Sesame finish: scatter the roasted sesame seeds over the plated chicken and rice.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the skin-side-down placement: the chicken will not brown as directed; put the skin against the pan.
• Adding cornflour dry: it may not blend smoothly; dissolve it in the stock first.
• Salting without tasting: soy sauce may already make the dish salty; taste before adding a pinch.
• Leaving peeled potatoes out: they can brown; put them straight into the boiling water.
• Cooking rice covered from the start: the method calls for an uncovered first stage; cover it only after the surface dries.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover chicken, rice and potatoes in covered containers and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot, adding a small splash of water to the rice if it has dried out.

Frequently asked questions