White cut chicken recipe

A whole chicken symbolises happiness, prosperity and family togetherness. It is, therefore, not to be left off a Chinese New Year menu. If you don’t have a big enough steamer, use a large saucepan with a lid. Add a couple of inches of water to the pan and place a small heatproof bowl upside down on the bottom. Then balance a large plate or bowl on top to steam the chicken. The liquid that collects in the dish the chicken is steamed in is delicious, so I sometimes use this as a base for a broth or stock, or even pour it over rice.  

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves

4

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.3 kg)
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp sesame oil

For the chicken cavity paste

• 1½ large garlic cloves
• 40g spring onions, finely sliced (about 4)
• 40g fresh ginger root, peeled
• 1 tbsp sea salt

For the ginger and spring onion sauce

• 15g fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 30g spring onions, finely chopped (about 3)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method 

1. To prepare the chicken, scrub the skin with 1 tsp of fine sea salt and add 1 tsp to the cavity.
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out under the tap, being careful not to splash the water about too much (make sure you wash and sanitise your sink thoroughly afterwards).
3. To make the cavity paste, place the garlic, spring onion and ginger on a cutting board and chop vigorously until you have a paste.
4. Add the sea salt to the paste and then rub this mixture into the cavity of the chicken. This gives so much flavour to the chicken from the inside out. You can also use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to blitz the paste ingredients.
5. Bring some water to a boil in the cooking pan of a steamer, then place the chicken in a heatproof dish and lower into the steamer – be careful not to scald yourself here (I usually wear rubber gloves).
6. Now steam the chicken with the lid on over a high heat for 25 minutes. Do not lift off the lid. Top up the steamer with more water if necessary.
7. Lower to a medium heat. Steam for another 25 minutes, then turn off the heat.
8. Leave the chicken in the steamer with the lid on and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
9. Lift the chicken from the steamer and drain any liquid that has collected in the cavity into the dish it was sitting in.
10. Brush the chicken all over the skin with the sesame oil.
11. Chop the chicken into chunks when cooled and assemble on a large plate.
12. To make the ginger and spring onion sauce, mix the ginger, spring onion and salt in a small heatproof bowl.
13. Bring the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to smoking point in a small pan. You will see the surface of the oil rippling when it becomes hot enough.
14. Immediately pour this boiling oil over the ginger and spring onion in the bowl.
15. Serve the steamed chicken with the ginger and spring onion sauce.

Recipe from Simply Chinese Feasts: Tasty Recipes for Friends and Family, by Suzie Lee (Hardie Grant, £24)