Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce For Lis Steamed Chinese Chicken Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED CHICKEN WITH GINGER SCALLION SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat dry the chicken. Rub salt on the whole chicken and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Make sure to get some salt in the cavity as well. Use more salt if needed.
• The next day, toast the coriander and fennel on the stove for 10-20 seconds.
• Add coriander, fennel, and the ginger to a small cheese cloth. Tie the ends together to make it into a small spice package. Stuff it into the cavity of the chicken.
• Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together to close the cavity. Use a second piece of twine to tie the legs to the tail. Finally, use one more piece of twine to tie around the length of the chicken (see picture above). The twine should go between the legs and wrap around the length of the chicken. Optional: You can use one more piece of twine to around the height of the chicken which will help you lift it out of the steamer.
• Prepare your steamer pot. Place a heat proof plate on your steamer attachment. Bring water to a boil. Add the chicken to the steamer. Let the chicken steam for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and let the chicken sit for another 20 minutes.
• Carefully take out the chicken with tongs, and remove the spice package from the cavity. Pour the steaming liquid into a small bowl. This liquid can be used in future dishes or to cook the rice.
• Let it cool completely (~10 minutes).
• Once it is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Serve with rice and ginger scallion sauce. The chicken can be served at room temperature or cold.

SOY GINGER DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Add all of the ingredients to a lidded jar and shake well to combine. Serve as a dipping sauce for tempura or dumplings.

STEAMED CHICKEN (ZHENG JI) WITH GINGER-SCALLION DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken in cold, running water, and blot dry completely with paper towels.
• Rub the salt all over the skin of the chicken and inside the cavity.
• Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a heat proof platter, and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Set up your steamer, or place a rack inside a wok or other deep pan.
• Fill with about 2 inches of hot water.
• Cover tightly and gently steam over medium heat for 1 hour, replenishing the water from time to time.
• Remove the platter of cooked chicken and pour off all of the liquid.
• In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and scallions.
• In a small pan, combine the oils and heat until they smoke.
• Pour the hot oils over the ginger-scallion mixture.
• Chop the chicken into serving sized pieces and serve with dipping sauce.

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.

LI'S STEAMED CHINESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Stuff chicken cavity with cilantro and ginger, and then tie together legs with kitchen twine. Transfer chicken to a large heatproof bowl.
• Place bowl with chicken onto a rack fitted in a large pot, and add enough hot water to pot to come about halfway up sides of bowl. Add enough cold water to bowl to cover chicken.
• Cover pot, and bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, about 1 hour, adding more water to pot as needed to maintain water level.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and set broth aside. Cut chicken into 6 pieces. Divide chicken and broth among bowls. Serve with sauces and mustard.

SOY-GINGER DIPPING SAUCE FOR LI'S STEAMED CHINESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Stir to combine. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.