Cantonese Poached Chicken Bai Qie Ji Recipes

CANTONESE POACHED CHICKEN (BAI QIE JI)

Steps:

• Make sure your chicken is at room temperature (trying to poach a cold chicken right out of the refrigerator will result in uneven cooking or undercooking). Clean the chicken by rinsing it under cold water, paying special attention to the cavity. Any giblets should already be removed but there may still be organs on the inside that should be removed or sometimes stray feathers that need to be plucked. Experts recommend that it's not necessary to wash your chicken before cutting and cooking but in this case for a whole chicken (especially if you get it from a live poultry place or even from Asian markets), it's a step that shouldn't be skipped, in my opinion. When washing and prepping the whole chicken, be very careful about splashing water and contaminating surfaces with unwanted bacteria. Be careful not to break or trim away any of the skin on the chicken, as you don't want the meat exposed to the boiling water as it cooks. This will ensure a moist, silky texture in the final product.
• Fill a large stock pot with water, just enough to submerge the chicken completely. You can determine this by putting the entire chicken in the pot, filling it with water until the chicken is submerged, and then removing the chicken. Do not turn on the heat while the chicken is still in the pot! This method of ensuring you have just enough water to submerge the chicken (and avoiding any extra) will ensure you have a more flavorful stock to save at the end. We used about 18 cups of water to submerge a 4 pound chicken in a deep stock pot.
• Once you have your water properly measured into the pot, add 2 scallions and 5 slices of ginger, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, slowly lower the chicken into the pot, legs down and head up. It's ok if the breast is peeking out of the water a bit. The water will cool down and stop boiling when you add the chicken, so bring it up to a boil once again, and do not walk away from the pot.
• Once the water boils again, IMMEDIATELY lift the chicken out of the water very carefully. You can carefully hook two wooden spoons under the wings to lift the chicken up. The goal is to empty any colder water that may be trapped inside the cavity. Once you've released that water, lower the chicken back into the pot, and bring to a boil again.
• When the water is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. Keep it at barely a simmer. There should be very little movement in the water, but it also shouldn't be still. Cover the pot, and keep the heat around the lowest setting so the liquid continues to simmer slowly. Cook for about 35-40 minutes, roughly 10-11 minutes per pound. Depending on the size of your chicken, it may take more or less time to cook it through. You can check to make sure the water is bubbling slowly/gently and not boiling too vigorously, but try to avoid uncovering the pot while it's cooking.
• Poke a chopstick or skewer into the thigh to check for doneness. If the juices run clear, it's done. Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and transfer it to a large bowl of ice water. Cool completely.
• While the chicken is cooling, make the sauce. You have the option to make two versions-one with just scallions, ginger, oil and salt, and one with soy sauce. The plain version is more traditional, as it really lets the flavors of chicken, ginger, and scallion shine through. Judy loves to add soy sauce, and it's also a tasty option! Start with the plain version, and then scoop some of it out into another bowl and add soy sauce. Try both and see which your loved ones like best!
• When the chicken is out of the ice water, you can brush it lightly with oil or some of the fat floating atop the poaching liquid to give it that enticing, shiny look!
• To serve, carve your chicken into pieces that you can easily grab with chopsticks. Serve with your sauce(s) and some steamed rice.

BAI QIE JI (WHITE CUT CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of cold water to a boil in a 7-quart Dutch oven. Add the salt, ginger and scallion. Slowly lower the chicken into the boiling water with the breast side up. Bring the water back up to a gentle boil. Carefully lift the chicken out using the handles of 2 wooden spoons or 2 pairs of chopsticks positioned under the wings, being careful not to tear the skin, so that all the water drains from the cavity; do not use tongs to lift the chicken as they can easily tear the skin. This step allows for any cold water still in the cavity to drain and ensures even cooking, inside and out. Lower the chicken back into the water. Bring the water back up to a boil and reduce the heat to low for a gentle simmer. Cook, covered, until the juices run clear when cut in between the leg and thigh, 33 to 35 minutes. Right before the chicken is done, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
• Transfer the chicken to the bowl of ice water breast-side down and let cool, flipping halfway through, for about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken, letting the excess water drip off. (Submerging the chicken in an ice bath, not only stops the cooking so that it doesn't overcook, but also helps to firm the meat and gives the skin a crispness that couldn't be achieved otherwise.)
• Carve the chicken using a meat cleaver or large heavy chef's knife: start by detaching both leg quarters (leg and thigh together) from the body. Chop the leg quarters into roughly 3/4-inch pieces. Place the leg pieces in the lower half of the plate. Cut off the wings and drumettes and place right above the leg pieces. Cut the breastbone in half and remove the spine. Chop the breast into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces starting at the tapered end; transfer the breast pieces to the plate on top of the leg pieces.
• Serve with a small bowl of Scallion-Ginger Sauce for dipping or plain soy sauce.
• Stir together the ginger, scallions and 1 teaspoon salt in a heatproof medium bowl.
• Heat the oil over high heat in a small pot until it just starts to smoke or registers 375 degrees F on a digital thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully pour the hot oil over the scallion-ginger mixture and stir to combine. Mix in the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.