Braised chicken with mushrooms

Use chicken legs already cut into pieces about 4 cm; remove loose bone fragments and blot dry without rinsing. Trim tough shiitake stems and slice, wash and cut peppers and peel and chunk optional potato, keeping equipment separate from raw chicken.

Lightly oil the pan and add sugar before heating. Stir over low heat until melted and pale amber rather than dark and smoking. Have dry chicken ready first and stay beside the pan.

Carefully add chicken and turn to coat, raising to medium until surfaces change color. Add cooking wine, ginger, dried chilies and soy and stir without allowing the sugar coating to blacken on the base.

Add water to just cover chicken, then mushrooms, white pepper, optional potato and a little salt. Bring to a boil, cover over medium-low and set a 20 min check. Continue until thickest chicken reaches 74°C and any potato is tender, topping up with a little water if needed.

Fold in green pepper and cook until slightly softened but still holding its shape. Taste the cooked broth before adding any remaining salt and mix in a little MSG. Reduce briefly if too thin, keeping some broth.

Turn off the heat and serve with the sauce in a deep dish. Take care with chicken bones and cool briefly before eating.