Rainbow Drive-In Shoyu Chicken

Rainbow Drive-In is a very popular take-out counter restaurant in the Kapahulu section of Honolulu, between Kaimuki and Waikiki.

This is purportedly the recipe they use for their shoyu (soy) chicken and has been credited to Sue Maynard, a former Rainbow Drive-In cook.

I tried it, and it’s good. If you can measure ingredients and mix them up in a bowl, and if you know how to use a stove, it’s an easy dish to make.

Ingredients

• CHICKEN THIGHS, 5 pounds, bone-in
• GARLIC PURÉE, 2 1/2 teaspoons
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 1/2 tablespoons 
• SOY SAUCE, 1 1/4 cups
• SUGAR, 1 cup
• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, 3 tablespoons
• BLACK PEPPER, 1/4 teaspoon, freshly ground
• GINGER, 2 ounces peeled and crushed
• ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, 3 tablespoons
• WATER, 3 tablespoons

Directions

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Combine/whisk flour and water to make a thickening slurry. Set aside
3. Add the chicken to a large sauté pan over medium heat and pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, skimming off any fat that rises.
5. Bring to a boil again and add the flour slurry, then lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
6. Arrange the chicken in a deep serving platter and cover with the sauce.