Chinese Style White Cut Poached Chicken

I've been very very bad, I know that I should have made dumplings of some sort this weekend for dearest Emily at http://emilycookingforays.blogspot.com.au but instead I made Chinese style white-cut poached chicken... sorry Em :(

Prepare the Chicken
Wash a corn fed chicken (preferably free range) in water inside and out and pat dry with paper towel. Remove the chicken fat from inside the cavity and place in a small stainless steel bowl.  Rub the following ingredients inside the chicken:

1 tablespoon ginger juice (grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice to obtain desired amount)
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon sugar
a pinch of white pepper

Bruise 1 spring onion and 3 slices ginger and also place this in the cavity.  Set both the chicken fat and the chicken aside.

This is how I make ginger juice 

Poaching Liquid
To a large stock pot add:

3.5 litres cold water
3/4 cup shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
2 spring onions
1 small lump yellow rock sugar (about the size of a teaspoon)

yellow rock sugar

Bring the poaching liquid to the boil then turn off the heat.  Add the chicken, breast-side down and make sure that it's fully submerged - put the lid on.  After 30 minutes turn the heat onto high and bring the poaching liquid back to a near boil.  During this time tilt the chicken whilst still in the poaching liquid to empty the cavity and re-fill it with the just near boiled poaching liquid to ensure that the insides cook through.  Turn the heat off again and pop the lid back on.  Leave the chicken in the poaching liquid for another 25-30 minutes then plunge the chicken into ice water to stop the cooking process and seal in the juices.

Drain the chicken and place onto a serving plate then rub the following ingredients all over the top:
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt  

Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and allow to cool.  Strain the poaching liquid and reserve for the chicken rice (below).  When the chicken is cool, remove from the plate and place onto a chopping board.  Section into small pieces then place back onto the serving plate. 

Rendered Chicken Fat

Sorry lovely ladies - not an attractive sight

After you place the chicken in the poaching liquid get to work with rendering the chicken fat so that it's ready about the same time your chicken is cooked.  You will use this fat and some of the poaching liquid to make chicken rice.

Bring some water to the boil in a small saucepan and place the small stainless steel bowl containing the chicken fat over the top.  Let it simmer away until the fat renders down - this can take up to an hour.  Remember to refill your saucepan periodically with boiling water from your jug so that the saucepan doesn't run dry! Discard any solid pieces of fat when done.

This chicken fat has been rendering down for about 20 minutes 

Chicken Rice
Pour a drizzle of the rendered chicken fat into a non stick pan and gently fry 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 slice finely minced ginger until golden.  Remove and set aside.

Pour the remaining rendered chicken fat into the non-stick pan and add 3 cups of jasmine rice.  Gently fry until the rice absorbs the chicken fat and the grains are slightly translucent.  Remove and pour the rice into a rice cooker.  Add the cooked garlic and ginger and 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder.  Pour enough of the strained poaching liquid into the rice cooker until it comes up to one joint on your index finger then follow your rice cooker instructions.  Cook the rice until light and fluffy.

Ginger Sauce
Place about 3/4 cup of finely chopped ginger and 3/4 cup of finely chopped spring onion into a small bowl.  Heat 3/4 cup peanut oil until sizzling then pour over the top of the ginger and spring onion.  Allow to cool.

Serve by placing the chicken rice into individual bowls, top with poached chicken and drizzle the ginger sauce over the top.  Add slices of cucumber (optional).  

I also served my poached chicken with a  chilli dipping sauce but I've only kept the recipe to the ginger sauce so that you don't have to make yet another recipe :)