MUZIChinese Matrix
Braising · FFET10341
Pa is a method of simmering shaped ingredients over low heat, then reducing over high heat and thickening with starch; Shandong and Cantonese cooking each have their own form.
Cooking in a moderate amount of liquid: red, white and dry braising and covered braising.
Pa is a cooking method in which main ingredients shaped beforehand are first stir-fried, then simmered slowly over low heat in stock and seasonings, and finally reduced over high heat and thickened with starch. Shandong (Lu) pa has red, white and milk types; Cantonese pa is a separate form that simmers briefly, finishes with a thick sauce and adds lard or chicken fat off the heat. Related Lu dishes include pa of abalone in the shell and Dezhou braised chicken. The sources listed give no date for the method.
Pa is a cooking method in which main ingredients shaped beforehand are simmered slowly over low heat in stock and seasonings, then reduced over high heat and thickened with starch. It differs from shao braising in being thickened before serving; Shandong pa has 3 types: red, white and milk.1,2
The sources listed give no date for the method. Dezhou braised chicken began in the Ming dynasty in Yucheng, and the Jia family improved it in 1692. Those dates concern the dish, not the method.4
Pa is used in Shandong (Lu) cooking, with examples from the Jiaodong area, Dezhou and Kongfu (Confucius family) cuisine. Cantonese cooking has a separate pa that is made differently. The two share a name but differ in method, so they are described separately here without assigning chronological precedence.1,3
Shandong pa: scallion and ginger go into the pot first, then the shaped main ingredients, stock and seasonings. It simmers over medium-low heat without stirring, then is reduced over high heat and thickened with starch. Cantonese pa: a brief simmer, then a thick sauce, with lard or chicken fat added off the heat.1
The sources listed do not explain the purpose of the method. Dezhou braised chicken is cooked first over high heat, then simmered slowly until tender, and is also deboned.4
Kongfu cuisine is strong in shao, chao, wei, kao, zha and pa; related Lu dishes include pa of abalone in the shell and Dezhou braised chicken. The craft of Dezhou braised chicken was listed in 2014 in the 4th batch of national intangible cultural heritage (traditional craft). This recognizes the craft of one dish, not the method itself, and the official list was not checked here.3,4
Legend has it that Dezhou braised chicken came from an accident: a pot of chicken was overcooked by mistake. Chinese Wikipedia retells this tale and records that the Jia family improved the method in 1692.
Told in: A tale told in Dezhou, retold in the Chinese Wikipedia entry on Dezhou braised chicken. The sources listed provide no independent corroboration of the story.
