Cantonese Poached Chicken
Authentic Chinese Poached Chicken is a simple yet delicious Cantonese dish made by poaching a whole chicken with scallions and ginger. After cooling, it's served with minced ginger, scallions, oil, and salt for a healthy and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 3-4 pound Whole Chicken
- 2 Scallions
- 5 slices Ginger
For the Sauce:
- 3 Tablespooons Scallions
- 2 Tablespoons Ginger
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Salt To taste
- Soy Sauce To taste
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Stock Pot
- Large Bowl
Instructions
- 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). 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.
- 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 normal 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 lets the flavors of chicken, ginger, and scallion shine through. 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Cantonese Poached Chicken
Amount per Serving
Calories
301
Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat
23
g
35
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
12
g
Cholesterol
82
mg
27
%
Sodium
78
mg
3
%
Potassium
235
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
1
g
0
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
0.2
g
0
%
Protein
20
g
40
%
Vitamin A
197
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
3
mg
4
%
Calcium
16
mg
2
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Ginger, Salt, Scallions, Soy Sauce, Whole Chicken