Step 1

Rinse your chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 2

Heat your wok or thick-bottomed pot over high heat until it starts to smoke slightly. Turn down the heat to medium, and wait a couple of seconds. Then add the black sesame oil, along with the sliced ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Turn up the heat to high, and sear the chicken legs (in batches if needed) until browned on all sides. Once the chicken legs are nicely browned, turn the heat back down to medium and add in rice wine, rock sugar, and water.

Step 4

Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 mins. The soup should be bubbling, but not boiling. The idea here is to cook the chicken and intensify the soup’s flavor without cooking off the liquid.

Step 5

The soup is ready once the chicken legs are tender. Season with salt to taste and garnish with scallions when serving.