Cantonese "White-cut" Chicken 粵式白切鷄

My all time favourite Chinese dish is the “white cut chicken” (白切鷄), which comes in many guises, the popular HaiNan chicken being a variation on the same theme.  When I was in my twenties, my roommate and I could easily polish off a whole “white-cut” chicken between us.  Now, I still couldn’t pass the dish by; whenever I go to a new restaurant, if they offer it, I’ll try it to see if it meets the “standard”.

As the name suggests, it is actually a poached whole chicken, chopped up and reassembled, and served with ginger and scallions.  The chicken itself is not hard to make, it’s just difficult to perfect so that the chicken is thoroughly cooked but stays tender. That is not easy because of the anatomy of the chicken and the difficulty of having to cook white breast meat the same length of time as the dark thigh meat.  The true test of a well-made white-cut chicken is in the tenderness of the white meat and the ‘crispness’ of the skin.  There is also a technique to making the ginger-scallion sauce.   A friend of mine, Mr. Anonymous, has the method down pat.   I can vouch for that as I’ve tried his homemade edition - yes, he prepared a takeout special for me last time I visited the west coast!  He had picked up the method from talking to a few experienced chefs.  Here are his instructions:

1.     Cook with the best whole chicken one can get:

Whenever possible, buy a freshly killed, never before frozen, organic, free-range chicken, found in poultry shops that handle their own processing.  The perfect size is a bird between 2.5 and 3 pounds.  Chinese cochin, the so-called “yellow-feather chicken” (a misnomer as the feathers are actually bronze in color) is preferred because it is leaner and has more flavor; the meat is firmer and the bones harder. 

2.     Poaching the “Easy Way”:

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the whole chicken.  Add a couple of slices of ginger, a stalk of green onion and a teaspoon of “sha-ginger” powder (沙薑粉 more on this powder later).   When the water is boiling, hold the chicken by its neck or feet and dip it into the water in a slow up and down motion a few times to fill and refill its body cavity with hot water.  This brings the inside and outside of the chicken to the same temperature for even cooking.  The water at this point will be below boiling point, so bring the pot to a boil again.  Submerge the chicken, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Bring the water to a simmer, turn off the heat, and poach for another 15 minutes.  Take the chicken out to cool. 

3.     Alternatively, for the best results, poach with two pots and finish the cooking with a cold bath:

Fill two large pots with water.  Add a couple of slices of ginger, a stalk of green onion and a teaspoon of “sha-ginger” powder into each.  Bring both pots to a boil.  Hold the chicken by its neck and dip it into the first pot in a slow up and down motion a few times to fill and refill its body cavity with hot water.  Bring the water to a boil again.  Submerge the chicken, cover the pot, and turn off the heat.  After 15 minutes, move the chicken to the second pot of boiling water.  Again, submerge, turn off the heat and poach for another 15 minutes.  Violà, the poaching is done. 

While the chicken is being poached, prepare a large body of cold water with some ice cubes and season it with some “sha-ginger” powder.  Drop the poached chicken immediately into the cold water until its skin is cool.  The cold bath (過泠诃) stops the internal cooking, firms up the meat, and crisps the chicken skin.

(Optional step: Rub the chicken all over with some chicken fat from the pot to give it sheen.  For a healthier option, use sesame oil)

Note: a large chicken may have to be poached for another 15 minutes.  Exact cooking time depends on how much water in the pots, the size of chicken, etc., try it out and make appropriate adjustments.

4.     To make the classic Ginger-Scallion Dipping Sauce:

Grate a large piece of fresh ginger.  Chop finely a bunch of scallions.  Mix the ginger and scallions in a bowl.  Add a couple of teaspoons of “sha-ginger” powder and some salt.  “Sha-ginger” is the secret ingredient; it adds a unique aroma and complexity to the sauce.  To finish, pour very hot cooking oil over the mixture and mix it well.  

A few notes on making the sauce:

·       Chop the scallions and ginger by hand instead of using a food processor for better texture.

·       Be careful when pouring hot oil over the ginger-scallion mixture.  It will splatter and can be messy.

·       Another option is to add room temperature salad oil to the mixture and let it steep.  This method works but the sauce will be less aromatic and the scallions stay raw. 

·       Do not use microwave to make the sauce; the ginger and scallion will most likely be burnt.

·       For the brave ones, use rendered chicken fat in place of cooking oil.  Delicious!

·       The proportion of ginger and the white and green parts of scallions affects the color, texture and flavor of the sauce.  Adjust the amount to suit your taste. 

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Finish eating the white-cut chicken preferably on the day it is made.  Chicken spoils quickly even with refrigeration.  That is one reason why so many Chinese bbq delis and restaurants nowadays sell “kwei-fei chicken” (貴妃鷄) instead.  “Kwei-fei chicken” is white-cut chicken marinated in light colored spicy brine (白鹵水) for a savory flavor.  The brined chicken lasts longer.   

So, what on earth is 沙薑粉 (pronounced  Sha Jiang Fen)?

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  The Chinese name literally means “sand-ginger”, and according to Google, the spice name is Zedoary. It is a rhizome, ginger-like but not regular ginger, galangal or turmeric.  I have seen it only in powder form in the spice section of Chinese markets.  The Chinese use it for cooking certain chicken dishes besides white-cut chicken.