Sunday, 23 June 2013
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”:
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 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 worksbut 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.
– ˜
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)?
– ˜
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. 
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 ofgreen 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 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 worksbut 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.
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)?
– ˜
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.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
Spring Goose - Epilogue
Undeniably, spring is here and immediate thoughts of spring goose came to mind. It was a year ago that I wrote my first post on this blog with the title "Spring Goose". That post had 137 page views, one of the more popular posts on this blog. Is that an indication of the popularity of goose? Hard to tell but it is certainly still one of my favourites, from way back in my youth when I would forgo sitting for hours with adults at a banquet to have a quiet evening at home in front of the TV. My mom would give me money to go down the street to the local BBQ place for a BBQ goose leg for dinner - still one of my fondest childhood memories.
So it was with great anticipation that I planned today's shopping trip so we would end up at First Markham Place for lunch at Van's for roast goose. To my utter disappointment, this was what greeted us when we got there -
It was a bit of a shock but thinking back, we are not really surprised. There is another BBQ place two stalls down and that place always has a lineup - because it's just marginally cheaper , has more variety and has a less picky owner. Van was very good to us but he was also temperamental and had a bit of an ego - not your most customer friendly guy, if you didn't know him. Far be it for me to judge what works and what doesn't for a business, but in my hierarchy of needs at 12:30 pm today, my greatest was for roast goose, failing that, I would take roast duck for a substitute. So we joined the lineup at Van's competitor, with a mild (but easily overcome) sense of betrayal.
Our verdict - meat was tender and lean but skin was not crispy like Van's. The redeeming grace was the al dente noodles - definitely one up on Van's. So much for customer loyalty - well, we didn't have a choice in this case. Here's to spring and a new start!
Undeniably, spring is here and immediate thoughts of spring goose came to mind. It was a year ago that I wrote my first post on this blog with the title "Spring Goose". That post had 137 page views, one of the more popular posts on this blog. Is that an indication of the popularity of goose? Hard to tell but it is certainly still one of my favourites, from way back in my youth when I would forgo sitting for hours with adults at a banquet to have a quiet evening at home in front of the TV. My mom would give me money to go down the street to the local BBQ place for a BBQ goose leg for dinner - still one of my fondest childhood memories.
So it was with great anticipation that I planned today's shopping trip so we would end up at First Markham Place for lunch at Van's for roast goose. To my utter disappointment, this was what greeted us when we got there -
It was a bit of a shock but thinking back, we are not really surprised. There is another BBQ place two stalls down and that place always has a lineup - because it's just marginally cheaper , has more variety and has a less picky owner. Van was very good to us but he was also temperamental and had a bit of an ego - not your most customer friendly guy, if you didn't know him. Far be it for me to judge what works and what doesn't for a business, but in my hierarchy of needs at 12:30 pm today, my greatest was for roast goose, failing that, I would take roast duck for a substitute. So we joined the lineup at Van's competitor, with a mild (but easily overcome) sense of betrayal.
Our verdict - meat was tender and lean but skin was not crispy like Van's. The redeeming grace was the al dente noodles - definitely one up on Van's. So much for customer loyalty - well, we didn't have a choice in this case. Here's to spring and a new start!
So it was with great anticipation that I planned today's shopping trip so we would end up at First Markham Place for lunch at Van's for roast goose. To my utter disappointment, this was what greeted us when we got there -
It was a bit of a shock but thinking back, we are not really surprised. There is another BBQ place two stalls down and that place always has a lineup - because it's just marginally cheaper , has more variety and has a less picky owner. Van was very good to us but he was also temperamental and had a bit of an ego - not your most customer friendly guy, if you didn't know him. Far be it for me to judge what works and what doesn't for a business, but in my hierarchy of needs at 12:30 pm today, my greatest was for roast goose, failing that, I would take roast duck for a substitute. So we joined the lineup at Van's competitor, with a mild (but easily overcome) sense of betrayal.
Sunday, 23 June 2013
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 ofgreen 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 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 worksbut 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.
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)?
– ˜
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.
TUESDAY, 10 JULY 2012
Southern Fried Chicken
I like fried chicken, a lot. Most people would say that it is unhealthy. I don’t think that is necessarily the case. If the ingredients are of high quality, if excessive fat has been trimmed from the chicken, if the cooking oil is not saturated, hydrogenated or deteriorated from overheating or reusing, then it is not that bad in my book. The key is to eat only good fried chicken and in moderation.
There are quite a few restaurants doing fried chicken right, and I eat in them. I also make it at home, where I have more control of the ingredients and the cooking process. The free range chicken, egg, and unbleached flour are organic. Ritz crackers (or Hi Ho crackers) and cooking oil are not. I cook with blended corn and canola oil simply because I have not figured out a better alternative.
I do not deep fry. That uses too much oil and deep fryer is hard to clean. I prefer using a cast iron chicken fryer (basically a large skillet with tall walls) for making southern fried chicken. It requires a relatively small amount of oil, just enough for it to be at mid-level of the chicken pieces in the pan.
I made some southern fried chicken and a tomato corn salad the other night.
My not-so-precise recipe:
1. I use chicken thighs and drumsticks because I do not like eating white meat. Leave the skin on, but trim off any loose skin and globs of fat on and embedded in the thighs. Season the meat with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Coat the pieces with flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt) and let them rest.
2. Finely grind the Ritz crackers, add to some flour and mix well.
3. Beat an egg, and thin it with some water.
4. Add less than an inch of oil into the cast iron chicken fryer. Set the burner to medium.
5. Coat a small batch of chicken with the egg wash and then the cracker-flour mix. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken pieces. The oil should come up to the mid-level of the chicken pieces. (I do not use a thermometer to check the oil or the chicken; very unscientific, I know).
6. Turn the pieces over after ten minutes to check the color of the thin coating and to fry the other side. Adjust the heat level if necessary.
7. Continue to turn the pieces every ten minutes to cook both sides and to make sure that the pieces are not burnt. Total cooking time: about forty minutes.
8. Rest the cooked pieces on a rack to cool and to drip off excess oil.
9. Place the pieces on paper towel to soak off remaining oil before eating.
For the salad:
Cut tomatoes into bite size chunks. Sprinkle gently some salt over them. Add some freshly cut raw corn kernels and basil leaves. Dress with extra virgin olive oil. Let it rest for a few minutes. Some tomato juice will form a pool at the bottom of the bowl. The juice has a nice balance of acidity, sweetness and saltiness, and the aroma of fine olive oil and basil. The salad is a lovely manifestation of summer. It is easy to make, the hard part is to find flavorful tomatoes and corns.
