Simple and Easy Authentic Chinese White Cut Chicken Recipe

Today, I want to share a very simple Chinese recipe that everyone, especially the chicken lover can try. This recipe is very common in Chinese places like China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Singapore. This is also served as one of the main dish in many Chinese restaurants. This is called Steamed Chinese Chicken also called White Cut Chicken Recipe.

This recipe is called "white cut chiken" because it is prepared without adding an seasoning to the chicken. Therefore, the flavor of the chicken stands out. Thus, it is best to use free ranch chicken for this recipe.

The result is technically plain dish, like a pure, blank piece of paper. The Chinese name for the dish (白切鸡 – bak chit gai in Cantonese or bai qie ji in Mandarin) translates to white cut chicken.

MAIN INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Whole Chicken (free ranch hen)

• Ginger (cut into slices)

• Spring onions (cut into short strips)

PROCEDURES:

For Steaming the Chicken

• Clean the chicken and remove the internal organd (liver, chicken heart, gizzard and intestines) from the chicken cavity then place it all on a wide dish or steaming plate.

• Slice the ginger and cut the spring onions into short strips. Set aside the white stalk of the spring onions and some ginger for the sauce making.

• Insert some ginger and spring onions inside the chicken cavity then place some on top.

• Steam the chicken on a big wok for 30-40 minutes. (The steaming duration varies on the size of the chicken). After 30-40 minutes, switch off the stove but do not remove the lid of the wok. Let it set for another 10-15 minutes.

• After 10-15 minutes, remove the chicken from the wok and discard the gravy. Set aside and let it cool down.

For the ginger sauce making:

• Grate the ginger and cut the spring onions into small sizes.

• Heat the pan and pour some oil.

• Add in the grated ginger and spring onions.

• Saute for few seconds until you can smell the aroma.

• Dish out and serve with the chicken.

Ginger sauce is the typical sauce served at many Chinese restaurants together with white cut chicken recipe. It is best paired with steamed chicken because it doesn't have strong flavor that might overpower the taste of the chicken.

But due to influenced of Singaporean style, chicken chili sauce and chicken dark soy sauce are also used by some Chinese. In Singapore, these sauce (ginger sauce, chili sauce, dark soy sauce) are served with their recipe called "Hainanese Chicken Recipe".

The final output:

The style of eating this chicken with these sauce is, first dip the chicken on the ginger sauce, then on the dark soy sauce and last on the chili sauce. This chili sauce isn't that spicy and the dark soy sauce is not salty, in fact, it's a little bit sweet. You can find these kind of sauce at some Chinese or Singaporean stores.

This is the simple and easy way of cooking steamed Chinese chicken recipe.

In some cooking style, they rub coarse salt onto the chicken and marinate it overnight. But we prefer the plain one as the sauce are already tasty.

Aside from steaming, the method called poaching is also used in some Chinese cooking. Poaching is a method used wherein the chicken is submerge into a boiling water.

HOW TO POACH THE CHICKEN:

• Boil water on a big pot enough to submerge the chicken.

• Add ginger slices, bashed garlic, green part of scallion, 2 tablespoons of salt of a tablespoon spoon of rice wine into the water.

• Submerge the chicken into the boiling water for about 10 seconds.

• Remove the water and repeat it twice.

(The purpose of this process is to partially cook the skin of the chicken so it will not break during the poaching process)

• Take out the chicken and submerge it onto cold water and rinse it under running water for about 3 minutes.

(This process will lower down the chicken temperature quickly and this will contract the chicken skin and make it adhere it to the meat)

• Steep the water into the boiling water for three times again. Immerse the chicken thoroughly in the water.

• Cover the pot and switch off the stove.

(Let the chicken poach in water for 20-30 minutes. The duration depends on the size of the chicken)

• After 20 minutes, check the chicken if it's cook.

• You can pierce chopstick into the thickest part of the thigh

(The chicken is cooked if there is no blood oozing out)

• Drain the chicken and place it on a dish.

• Let it cool down completely before cutting the chicken.

Benefits of Steaming:

• Steaming is a healthy cooking method that can be used for many kinds of food. It preserves the natural flavor, fiber and color of the foods.

• Steaming retains the vitamins and minerals of the food.

• Steaming reduces cholesterol and it doesn't need oil or fat and thus results in lighter and healthier meals.

• It's easier and faster and messy-free in the kitchen, so cleaning up is easy.

Benefits of Poaching:

• Poaching is considered a healthy cooking method because it does not use fat to cook or flavor the food.

• Poaching is gentle and fitting for delicate foods like eggs, fruits and fish.

• It allows the protein to cook without loosing it's moist and tender

• Poaching produces no agitation because it relatively cook in low temperature of the liquid.

• It is recommended for diet because there isn't any added fats.

Written by: @Jane