Steamed Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Garnish
This a very traditional Chinese dish and one of my absolute favorites. It's not uncommon to see this dish at banquets or a Chinese New Year celebration. Simple, yet flavorful. If you love ginger and onion, this dish is definitely for you.
Typically, they serve the chicken at room temperature, but I prefer it hot, right out of the steamer. Either way, it's a great spring time recipe. Traditionalists also steam an entire chicken whole. I've modified the recipe from my grandmother's version for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts as a healthier and more wieldy option. Please also note that some restaurants enhance their ginger-scallion dip with MSG, which I personally find unecessary.
In fact, the beauty of this style of chicken is in its simplicity and in its use of pure ingredients. The ginger, scallion, and salt are really the only flavors applied to the chicken, and the steaming method allows the chicken to retain its nutrients and juiciness.
Steamed Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Garnish
Total Cooking time: 30 min
Serves 4-5 with other dishes
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts on the bone with the skin
2 large pieces of fresh ginger
2-3 stalks of scallion
Salt
Oil [Extra virgin olive oil for a healthy choice]
2-3 pieces of fresh garlic [optional]
Special Equipment:
Meat cleaver or a sharp knife [for cutting through bone]
Large steamer
STEP 1 - Get the Chicken Steaming
Get your steamer fully going. Rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold tap water. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt. Place the chicken breasts in the steamer, and steam for 25-30 minutes (until the juices run clear). You may also throw some stalks of scallion, cloves of garlic, or slices of ginger for extra infused flavor.
STEP 2 - Prepare the Ginger and Scallion
Peel the ginger [tip: use the edge of a spoon] and wash the scallions. Finely mince the ginger with a good knife.. Same with the scallions. Now, I've never used a food processor for this because I feel it make it too mushy and puree-like, which is not what we are going for, but if you are pressed for time, by all means...
You should aim for a ginger-scallion ration of about 60-30 or 60-40 if you are feeling oniony. Be sure to make enough of this mixture [imagine 1/2 a teaspoon of this stuff per bite of chicken]. Mix the ginger and scallion together in a bowl that can withstand hot oil. Sprinkle salt into the ginger-scallion mixture and mix well. The natural aroma of this combination is truly one of my favorites in all cuisine.
Now heat up a fair amount of oil in a pan or small pot so it just begins to smoke, but does not burn. This is important. The oil should be hot enough to make the ginger and scallion sizzle and cook.
Once the oil is heated, pour it slowly from the pan onto the ginger-scallion-salt mixture. Try to pour it all around the mixture, as this process cooks the ginger and scallion. You should hear a nice sizzle. Stir the mixture, taste, and add more salt if necessary. The salt should not overpower the ginger-scallion flavor. Set the garnish aside.
Inhale the freshness of ginger, scallion and olive oil.
click to enlarge
Step 3 - Prepare the Chicken
Once the chicken is finished steaming, transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Using your cleaver, cut the meat across the grain into 3/4-1 inch pieces, keeping the bone and skin on each piece [see photo]. Arrange the pieces on a serving plate. Serve with the ginger-scallion garnish in a separate bowl. Recommended with white rice or jook.
A true family style chicken dish.
click to enlarge
Typically, they serve the chicken at room temperature, but I prefer it hot, right out of the steamer. Either way, it's a great spring time recipe. Traditionalists also steam an entire chicken whole. I've modified the recipe from my grandmother's version for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts as a healthier and more wieldy option. Please also note that some restaurants enhance their ginger-scallion dip with MSG, which I personally find unecessary.
In fact, the beauty of this style of chicken is in its simplicity and in its use of pure ingredients. The ginger, scallion, and salt are really the only flavors applied to the chicken, and the steaming method allows the chicken to retain its nutrients and juiciness.
Steamed Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Garnish
Total Cooking time: 30 min
Serves 4-5 with other dishes
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts on the bone with the skin
2 large pieces of fresh ginger
2-3 stalks of scallion
Salt
Oil [Extra virgin olive oil for a healthy choice]
2-3 pieces of fresh garlic [optional]
Special Equipment:
Meat cleaver or a sharp knife [for cutting through bone]
Large steamer
STEP 1 - Get the Chicken Steaming
Get your steamer fully going. Rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold tap water. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt. Place the chicken breasts in the steamer, and steam for 25-30 minutes (until the juices run clear). You may also throw some stalks of scallion, cloves of garlic, or slices of ginger for extra infused flavor.
STEP 2 - Prepare the Ginger and Scallion
Peel the ginger [tip: use the edge of a spoon] and wash the scallions. Finely mince the ginger with a good knife.. Same with the scallions. Now, I've never used a food processor for this because I feel it make it too mushy and puree-like, which is not what we are going for, but if you are pressed for time, by all means...
You should aim for a ginger-scallion ration of about 60-30 or 60-40 if you are feeling oniony. Be sure to make enough of this mixture [imagine 1/2 a teaspoon of this stuff per bite of chicken]. Mix the ginger and scallion together in a bowl that can withstand hot oil. Sprinkle salt into the ginger-scallion mixture and mix well. The natural aroma of this combination is truly one of my favorites in all cuisine.
Now heat up a fair amount of oil in a pan or small pot so it just begins to smoke, but does not burn. This is important. The oil should be hot enough to make the ginger and scallion sizzle and cook.
Once the oil is heated, pour it slowly from the pan onto the ginger-scallion-salt mixture. Try to pour it all around the mixture, as this process cooks the ginger and scallion. You should hear a nice sizzle. Stir the mixture, taste, and add more salt if necessary. The salt should not overpower the ginger-scallion flavor. Set the garnish aside.
Inhale the freshness of ginger, scallion and olive oil.
click to enlarge
Step 3 - Prepare the Chicken
Once the chicken is finished steaming, transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Using your cleaver, cut the meat across the grain into 3/4-1 inch pieces, keeping the bone and skin on each piece [see photo]. Arrange the pieces on a serving plate. Serve with the ginger-scallion garnish in a separate bowl. Recommended with white rice or jook.
A true family style chicken dish.
click to enlarge
posted by Alex at 1:18 PM
5 Comments:
I can't thank you enough. I use to eat this everyday in Hong Kong in a lunchbox and could never find a recipe which comes close.
Richard
mmmm... looks yummy~!
definitely gonna try it for dinner tonight!
thanx for great recipes!!
Steps are easy to understand and useful to prepare a recipe..
Cooking
G'Day,
Mate I used to have this dish all the time when I lived in London, I have been searching for the recipe for a year!
You are the first I have seen that has nailed it mate! Your a legend.
I'm off to cook it right now.
Thanks Mate, I owe you a beer.
Brooksy
Gold Coast, AUS
YUMMY. I just made this recipe and it is absolutely wonderful. I used a microplane grater for the ginger and added a clove of garlic to the recipe. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Post a Comment
<< Home