Braised Chicken with Smoked Ham, Chestnuts, and Ginger

Ingredients

• 7 ounces bottled roasted chestnuts 
• 2.5 pounds chickens cut into 6 pieces (legs, thighs, and breasts without backbones)
• 2 tablespoons corn oil 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 0.3 pound country ham thinly sliced
• 0.5 cup cooking wine dry white
• 0.3 cup ginger finely julienned peeled
• 1 cup ginger peeled sliced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt divided
• 2.5 cups chicken broth reduced-sodium
• 12  mushrooms dried black chinese
• 0.8 cup oloroso sherry dry
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce 
• 3.5 teaspoons sugar 
• 1.5 cups water cold divided
• 1 teaspoon pepper white

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• whisk
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir in mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard stems, then chill mushroom caps, covered, until ready to braise chicken. Stir remaining marinade ingredients into mushroom liquid, then add chicken and marinate, chilled, stirring occasionally, 1 day.
2. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry (discard marinade).
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Just before browning each batch of chicken, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Brown, skin side down first, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Transfer to a plate.
5. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from skillet, then reduce heat to medium-low and sauté ginger, stirring, 1 minute (do not brown).
6. Add white wine and Shaoxing and boil until reduced by three fourths, about 5 minutes.
7. Add broth, 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, soy sauce, white pepper, and remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to a simmer.
8. Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons cold water and whisk into sauce, then boil 1 minute.
9. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a 6-to 8-quart heavy pot (place white meat on top).
10. Add sauce, chestnuts, and reserved mushroom caps. Gently simmer, covered, until chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes.
11. Cut breasts in half and return to pot.
12. Add ham. Gently simmer 3 minutes more.
13. Braised chicken can be made 1 day ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat before serving.