One of our most popular daily specials at Kete-Yama’s Cafe, on Maui, and still a dish that I get cravings for, especially on rainy days such as this one in Missouri today. Ready in just 45 minutes, this filling and tasty dish, flavored with shoyu (soy sauce for mainland folks), is a popular dish in Hawai’i and one which mainland cooks can easily prepare at home.  If you are using less chicken thighs than the 12 pieces listed in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook, adjust the broth ingredients.  The broth is meant for adjusting to your own liking so don’t be afraid to taste it and tinker some until you are satisfied.

Hardly any prep: only chop an onion, a few garlic cloves, and peel a 1″ slice of fresh ginger root and you’re ready to cook! Start with the water and sugar and the seasonings then taste your broth. If it is too sour, add more sugar, if too sweet, add more shoyu. If it’s just right (and it probably will be), add the chicken thighs and allow the meat to simmer in the broth. That’s it; all pau!

Hawaiian style Shoyu Chicken is traditionally served with both rice and macaroni salad, but today I am making do with just a pot of my favorite short-grain rice. Short-grain rice is much “stickier” than the long-grain rice which is more common on the mainland and it is perfect with any dish that has sauce or gravy (or any dish at all for local Hawaiian folks and myself).  Layer the chicken and a good amount of broth over a bed of rice in your bowl and sprinkle with green onion pieces. You’ll feel like you’re visiting the islands.  Aloha!

Shoyu Chicken

Ingredients:

2 cups shoyu (soy sauce)
2 cups water
1- 1″ piece ginger root, peeled
1 clove crushed garlic
1 small chopped onion
1 cup sugar
12 bone-in chicken thighs; remove skin if desired

Directions: Place the shoyu, water, ginger root, garlic, onion, and sugar in a large sauce pot. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves. If the broth tastes sour, then add more sugar, if too salty, add more sugar or water. If the sauce tastes good, then add the chicken and simmer 45 minutes. The liquid ingredients should thicken into a very tasty sauce for serving over rice.