See yau gai is Cantonese soy sauce chicken, a restaurant classic that takes to a slow cooker beautifully. The braise needs no watching, and the low, steady heat keeps the meat tender rather than stringy.
The master sauce is the whole point. Light and dark soy, Shaoxing, ginger and star anise cook down with a knob of rock sugar that caramelises into a glossy, savoury syrup, and you will want to spoon plenty of it over the rice.
Steamed jasmine rice and something green on the side is all it needs. Save any leftover braising liquid in the freezer, because it only gets better the second time around.
