Thursday, July 4, 2013

Steamed Chicken in Scallion and Wine

Ingredients:
1 organic chicken, head and feet removed
2 bunches of scallions, washed and drained
2 pips garlic, sliced in halves
1 large piece of ginger, skin removed and pounded finely
1 cup Chinese rice wine (good quality)
1/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. light soy sauce
Rice cooker, preferably a large one that cooks for 10 persons

Method:
  1. Wash chicken and pat dry. Mix salt, pepper and soy sauce in a bowl. Rub this mixture generously inside and outside the chicken. Cover chicken with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. Place a bunch of cleaned scallions and garlic into the bottom of the rice cooker. Remove the plastic wrap from the chicken and place it over the scallions/garlic. Pour wine over the chicken, close the lid and power up the rice cooker. (Most rice cooker has two settings, you don't need to watch the cooking process)
  3. Thinly sliced one bunch of scallions, put into a deep medium bowl. Add the ginger and a pinch of salt. 
  4. Heat oil in a small saucepan until sizzling hot. Remove from heat and pour this into the scallion/ginger mixture (Be careful not to scald yourself. I put a chopping board in front of me so that it doesn't splash)
  5. The chicken is cooked when the rice cooker is on the "keep warm" setting. Remove the chicken when it is cool enough to handle. Cut into serving sizes and serve warm with scallion/ginger sauce over rice.