White Chicken & Dips (Hainan Chicken)

Chinese White Cut Chicken

 recipe adapted from Eileen Yin-fei Lo’s The Chinese Kitchen and The Chinese Chicken Cookbook

White-cut chicken is a traditional Chinese preparation that calls for poaching, cutting on the bone, chilling, and serving with a flavorful dipping sauce. Chicken doesn’t have to be fried, crisp, or golden brown to be delicious. When it comes to Chinese dishes, “traditional” usually implies “old as hell” and “bajillions served,” so they must be eating something right. If you’re still not convinced after trying this recipe (highly unlikely), here’s another example of pale but tasty steamed chicken.


makes 4 to 6 servings
3 1/2-pound chicken
1/4 cup kosher salt

For the Poaching Liquid:

10 cups water
6 scallions, trimmed and cut in thirds
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, smashed (optional)
1/2 cup fresh coriander / cilantro, stalks cut in half (optional)
1/4 cup Chinese white rice wine (optional)

For the Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken stock or reserved poaching liquid
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, white parts only
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Equipment:

• A heavy pot, preferably a dutch oven

Notes:

• This recipe is based on two versions from the same author. The list of optional ingredients is the difference between the two.
• Also try this ginger-scallion dipping sauce recipe.

To Wash the Chicken:

1. Wash the chicken under cold running water. Remove any excess fat and rub with about 1/4 cup of kosher salt. Rinse again under cold running water and drain.

To Poach the Chicken:

1. In a heavy pot or dutch oven, add all of the poaching liquid ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.
2. Place the chicken in the pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook while covered for about 30 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let the chicken cool to room temperature in the poaching liquid.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot, drain well, and cut into bite-sized pieces. The chicken can also be chilled — refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. Reserve at least 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid for the ginger-soy dipping sauce if chicken stock isn’t available.

To Serve:

Mix all of the ginger-soy dipping sauce ingredients and spoon into individual small dishes. Serve the sliced chicken slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Ginger scallion sauce - Recipe

Ginger scallion sauce

Ginger, scallions and garlic are what I call the trinity in Cantonese cooking. Most dishes use these three herbs in some combination or other. I can't recall a kitchen that didn't have these three items.

Ginger scallion oil is like Chinese pesto. I am seldom without this delicious paste at home. It is so versatile.

It is the sauce for white cut chicken - a traditional Cantonese dish. But it is much more than that: it can also be a condiment in a bowl of noodles, a marinade or used in salad dressings. It is excellent with steamed or grilled fish. I used it in an Asian version of guacamole and it makes a great egg salad. In a pinch, use a couple of tablespoons of the sauce to make fried rice. Just fry leftover rice with the sauce, add salt and pepper and you get a delicious treat! I like to fry the rice in a cast iron pan until the rice is popping.

Ingredients:
1/2 a cup of shredded ginger (or finely minced ginger)
1/2 a cup of finely chopped scallions
1 cup of peanut oil
A clove of garlic
Some coarse sea salt

Method: There are two ways to make it, the traditional way, but is dangerous and messy and a simple way.

Let's live dangerously but first, a few words of advice:

• Keep children and pets out of the kitchen. You do not want to trip over them and splatter them with hot oil!
• Keep the area between the stove and the sink clear. In your dash to the sink, you do not want to trip.
• Do not wear clothes with flowing sleeves.
• Wear an apron.
• Have good, thick potholders on hand.
• Familiarize yourself on how to use a fire extinguisher and keep it close to you.

1. Put the chopped ginger, scallions and sea salt in a bowl with deep sides (I use a Pyrex 4-cup measuring cup). Clear out the kitchen sink and spread newspaper on the counters next to the sink. Put the bowl in the sink.
2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Note: I use a small, cast iron frying pan for heating the oil. The iron handle becomes very hot. Good, thick potholders are essential.
3. When the garlic is turning black and the oil is smoking, carry the pan over to the sink and pour the hot oil over the chopped ginger and scallions. There will be a big, sizzling mess. The oil will splatter and bubble over the herbs. Use chopsticks or a wooden spoon to mix the oil and ginger/scallions evenly. There will be a wonderful smell of ginger and scallions. When things have calmed down, pour the ginger scallion oil into a bowl and set aside.
4. Open windows to air out the house.

The less hazardous method:

1. Heat a small frying pan with oil and add the ginger and scallions. Cook them without browning until the vegetables become limp.
2. Add the rest of the oil and heat the oil for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sea salt when the mixture has cooled.
4. Put the contents of the pan into a bowl and set aside.

Ginger scallion oil can be stored, covered, in the fridge for about a week.

White cut chicken with ginger scallion sauce