Braised Soy Sauce Chicken

Many many years ago, my mother subscribed to a set of Time-Life books 'Foods of the World'. This recipe has been taken and adapted from the China cookbook. The brilliant thing about this recipe is that the sauce the chicken cooks in is a 'master sauce'. I freeze it and then use it as required when cooking chicken breasts, or a quick roast chicken. 

Ingredients >  1 large chicken >  3/4 pint cold water >  3/4 pint soya sauce >  3 Tbsp dry sherry or Chines rice wine >  5 inch stick of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced >  1 whole star anise, or 8 sections >  5 tsp granulated sugar  >  1 tsp sesame seed oil

Steps 1.  Wash and dry the chicken. 2.  Bring the water, soya sauce, sherry/wine, ginger, and star anise to the boil in a saucepan that the chicken just fits in. 3.  Add the chicken. The liquid should reach half way up the side of the chicken. 4.  Bring back to the boil and then reduce the heat to moderate, and cook covered for 20 minutes. 5.   With 2 large spoons, turn the chicken over. 6.  Stir the sugar into the liquid and then baste the chicken thoroughly. 7.  Simmer 20 minutes longer. 8.  Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered and let the chicken continue cooking for another 2 to 3 hours. 9.  Cut the chicken up and baste it with the sesame oil and 3 Tbsp of the sauce. 10. Let the sauce cool and then pour it into a storage container and place it in the freezer. It keeps for as long as you need it.