A Tasty Twist: Marmite Chicken Recipe Chinese
For those seeking an innovative and delectable recipe to test out, why not consider making Marmite chicken? This Chinese favourite has been gaining popularity in different parts of the world, including Malaysia. Its unique blend of sweet and savoury tastes is sure to win over the taste buds of anyone who tries it.
Marmite chicken is thought to have originated in China, where Marmite and Bovril are both popular ingredients. The dish has since spread to other parts of Asia and beyond, with many different variations and adaptations along the way. Whether you're a fan of traditional Chinese cuisine or simply looking for something new and different to try, Marmite chicken is definitely worth a go.
To make Marmite chicken, you'll need a few key ingredients, including chicken, Marmite, and a range of herbs and spices. You'll also need to marinate the chicken for several hours before cooking, to ensure that it's tender and flavourful. Once you've got all your ingredients together, you can try a range of different cooking techniques, from deep-frying to stir-frying and more. And if you're feeling adventurous, you might even want to experiment with adding seafood to the mix - prawns and squid are both great options that can add a unique twist to this classic dish.
Key Takeaways
- Marmite chicken is a delicious Chinese dish that has become increasingly popular in recent years.
- The dish is made using a range of ingredients, including chicken, Marmite, and a range of herbs and spices.
- To make Marmite chicken, you'll need to marinate the chicken for several hours before cooking, and can experiment with a range of different cooking techniques and ingredients, including seafood.
Origins and Cultural Significance
Marmite's History
Marmite is a dark, sticky spread made from yeast extract that is popular in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The spread was first created in the late 19th century by a German scientist named Justus von Liebig, who discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled, and eaten. The spread was named "Marmite" after a French cooking pot, which it resembled in shape.
Marmite has a unique, strong flavor that is often described as an acquired taste. It is rich in B vitamins and has been used as a dietary supplement during times of war and food shortages. Marmite has since become a staple in many British households, and its popularity has spread to other parts of the world.
Chinese Influence on Marmite Chicken
Marmite chicken is a Chinese-inspired dish that has become popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The dish involves deep-frying chicken pieces and then coating them with a sweet and sticky Marmite sauce. The dish is often served with rice and vegetables.
The Chinese have a long history of using Marmite and similar spreads in their cooking. The use of yeast extracts in Chinese cuisine can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The Chinese used yeast extracts as a seasoning and a source of umami flavor.
Marmite chicken is a fusion dish that combines Chinese and Western ingredients. The dish has become popular in Malaysia and Singapore due to the influence of Chinese cuisine in the region. Marmite chicken is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
If you are looking to add some seafood to your Marmite chicken recipe, you can try using prawns or shrimp. Simply coat the prawns or shrimp in cornstarch and fry them until they are crispy. Then, toss them in the Marmite sauce and serve with rice and vegetables. The addition of seafood will add a unique flavor and texture to the dish.
Essential Ingredients
When it comes to making a delicious marmite chicken dish, there are a few essential ingredients that you will need to have on hand. In this section, we will take a closer look at some of the most important ingredients and what makes them so crucial to the recipe.
Selecting the Right Chicken
The first ingredient you will need for your marmite chicken recipe is, of course, chicken. When selecting your chicken, it is important to choose the right cut of meat. Boneless chicken thighs are a popular choice for this recipe as they are juicy and full of flavour. However, you can also use bone-in chicken thighs or chicken wings if you prefer.
If you are looking to add some seafood to your marmite chicken recipe, you can also use prawns or squid. Prawns are a great option as they absorb the flavours of the marmite sauce well and add a delicious texture to the dish.
Understanding Marmite
Marmite is a key ingredient in this recipe and is what gives the dish its distinctive flavour. Marmite is a yeast extract that is commonly used in British cuisine. It has a strong, savoury flavour that can be quite divisive. Some people love it, while others find it too overpowering.
In addition to marmite, you will also need other flavourful ingredients such as soy sauce, honey, oyster sauce, and sesame seeds. These ingredients help to balance out the strong flavour of the marmite and give the dish a well-rounded taste.
To thicken the sauce, you will need cornstarch. This ingredient helps to create a thick, glossy sauce that coats the chicken or seafood perfectly.
Overall, the key to making a delicious marmite chicken dish is to use high-quality ingredients and to balance the flavours carefully. With the right ingredients and a little bit of practice, you can create a dish that is sure to impress your family and friends.
Marinating and Preparation
When it comes to preparing marmite chicken, the marinating process is crucial to achieve the perfect taste and texture. Here are some steps to help you create the perfect marinade for your chicken.
Creating the Perfect Marinade
The first step to marinating your chicken is to mix together the right ingredients. For a basic marinade, you will need light soy sauce, cooking oil, white pepper, rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix these ingredients together in a bowl and add your chicken to the mixture, making sure to coat the chicken evenly.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can also add some seafood to the marinade. Prawns or squid would be a great addition to the marinade, adding a unique and delicious flavour to the dish.
Once you've mixed everything together, cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator. Leave it to marinate for at least an hour, but ideally overnight. The longer you leave it, the more flavourful your chicken will be.
Prepping Chicken for Cooking
When you're ready to cook your chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. This will help the chicken cook evenly.
Next, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. This will help ensure that the chicken cooks evenly and gets crispy.
To give your chicken a crispy texture, coat it in cornstarch before cooking. This will help the chicken to become crispy on the outside while remaining juicy on the inside.
In addition to the marinade, you can also create a marmite sauce to add more flavour to your chicken. To make the sauce, mix together marmite, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and dark soy sauce.
By following these steps, you'll be able to create a delicious marmite chicken dish that everyone will love.
Cooking Techniques
When it comes to preparing Marmite chicken, there are a few key cooking techniques that you should keep in mind to ensure that your dish comes out perfectly. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Deep Frying for Crispiness
One of the most important steps in making Marmite chicken is deep frying the chicken. This gives the chicken a crispy exterior that pairs well with the sweet and savoury Marmite glaze. To deep fry the chicken, you should heat up a wok or a deep frying pan with enough cooking oil to submerge the chicken pieces. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and deep fry until they are golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the oil and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Sauce Making and Glazing
The Marmite sauce is what gives this dish its unique flavour. To make the sauce, you should mix Marmite with some water, sugar, and other seasonings like sesame oil. You can also add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Once the sauce is ready, you can use it to coat the chicken pieces. To do this, you should heat up the sauce in a wok or a saucepan until it is thick and bubbly. Then, add the deep-fried chicken pieces to the sauce and stir until the chicken is fully coated. Finally, remove the chicken from the wok and serve.
If you want to add some seafood to your Marmite chicken recipe, you can try using prawns or squid. These seafood options pair well with the sweet and savoury Marmite sauce and will add an extra layer of flavour to your dish. To use prawns or squid, simply substitute them for the chicken in the recipe and follow the same cooking techniques. You can also try stir-frying the seafood instead of deep-frying it for a lighter option.
By following these cooking techniques, you can make a delicious Marmite chicken recipe that is sure to impress your family and friends.
Serving and Pairing
Accompaniments
Marmite chicken is a delicious and flavourful dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of accompaniments. Steamed rice is the perfect option to pair with marmite chicken as it absorbs the sauce and enhances the taste of the dish. You can also serve the chicken on a bed of lettuce with some cucumber and tomato slices at the side to add a fresh and crunchy texture to the dish. Toasted sesame seeds can be sprinkled on top of the chicken to add a nutty flavour and some crunch.
If you are looking for a lighter option, a simple salad with a tangy dressing can complement the savoury taste of the marmite chicken. You can also serve the chicken with some stir-fried vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and peppers to add some colour and nutrition to your meal.
For seafood lovers, cooked prawns or squid can be added to the dish to create a delicious surf and turf option. The seafood can be cooked separately and added to the marmite sauce at the end to ensure that it is cooked to perfection.
Presentation Tips
To make the dish look more appetising, you can present the chicken and its accompaniments in a colourful and attractive way. You can use a large platter or individual plates to serve the dish. Place the chicken on top of the rice or lettuce and arrange the cucumber and tomato slices around it. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the chicken to add some texture.
To add some flair to your dish, you can garnish it with some fresh herbs such as coriander or parsley. You can also drizzle some extra marmite sauce on top of the chicken to make it look shiny and more appetising.
Marmite chicken is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It is perfect for a quick and easy lunch or a delicious dinner with family and friends. With the right accompaniments and presentation, you can turn this simple dish into a gourmet meal that everyone will love.
Variations and Substitutions
Alternative Ingredients
If you don't have some of the ingredients needed for the marmite chicken recipe, there are some suitable alternatives that you can use. For instance, if you don't have maltose, you can use sugar instead. It is best to use brown sugar as it has a similar taste to maltose. If you don't have honey, you can use any other sweetener that you have available.
In addition, if you don't have boneless chicken thigh, you can use boneless chicken breast instead. Chicken breast is leaner and contains less fat than thigh meat. If you prefer seafood, you can use prawns or squid instead of chicken. Prawns and squid are excellent substitutes for chicken as they are rich in protein and low in fat.
Healthier Options
If you want to make a healthier version of the marmite chicken recipe, you can use some healthier ingredients. For instance, instead of using regular soy sauce, you can use light soy sauce. Light soy sauce contains less sodium than regular soy sauce and is a healthier option. You can also use dark soy sauce for a richer and more intense flavour.
If you want to reduce the amount of oil needed for deep frying, you can use an air fryer instead. An air fryer is a healthier alternative to deep frying as it uses less oil and produces less fat. In addition, you can use corn flour instead of wheat flour to coat the chicken. Corn flour is gluten-free and contains fewer calories than wheat flour.
To make the marmite sauce healthier, you can use a honey marmite sauce instead of a sweet marmite sauce. Honey is a natural sweetener that is lower in calories than sugar. You can also use cooking wine instead of maltose. Cooking wine has a similar taste to maltose and is a healthier option.
Overall, there are many variations and substitutions that you can make to the marmite chicken recipe to suit your taste and dietary requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a simple Chinese-style Marmite chicken?
Making a simple Chinese-style Marmite chicken is easy. Start by marinating chicken pieces in a mixture of salt, pepper, corn flour, and egg white. Then, coat the chicken pieces with potato starch flour and deep-fry them until they are crispy. Finally, toss the fried chicken pieces in a Marmite sauce made from Marmite, sugar, oyster sauce, and water. Serve hot with steamed rice.
What's the best way to prepare Marmite chicken like in Chinese cuisine?
To prepare Marmite chicken like in Chinese cuisine, follow the recipe for Homestyle Marmite Chicken. This recipe involves deep-frying large pieces of chicken and then coating them with a very thick, sticky, and sweet Marmite sauce. You can also add some seafood to the recipe, such as prawns or squid, to give it a more authentic Chinese flavour.
Can you share a classic recipe for Marmite chicken?
Sure, here's a classic recipe for Marmite chicken:
- 500g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp potato starch flour
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Marmite
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- Mix the chicken pieces with the potato starch flour and egg white.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the Marmite, sugar, oyster sauce, and water.
- Stir until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the pan and toss until the chicken is coated in the sauce.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
What are the essential ingredients for a Marmite chicken dish?
The essential ingredients for a Marmite chicken dish are chicken, Marmite, sugar, and oyster sauce. You can also add other ingredients such as potato starch flour, egg white, and water to create a crispy coating for the chicken and a sticky sauce for the dish.
How can I make Marmite chicken without frying it?
You can make Marmite chicken without frying it by baking it in the oven. Simply marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of salt, pepper, corn flour, and egg white. Then, coat the chicken pieces with potato starch flour and bake them in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Toss the baked chicken pieces in a Marmite sauce made from Marmite, sugar, oyster sauce, and water. Serve hot with steamed rice.
What's a good recipe for Marmite chicken wings?
A good recipe for Marmite chicken wings is to marinate the chicken wings in a mixture of salt, pepper, corn flour, and egg white. Then, coat the chicken wings with potato starch flour and deep-fry them until they are crispy. Toss the fried chicken wings in a Marmite sauce made from Marmite, sugar, oyster sauce, and water. Serve hot with steamed rice. You can also add some seafood to the recipe, such as prawns or squid, to give it a more unique and flavourful taste.