Simple White Cut Chicken Recipe: Perfect Boiled Chicken Every Time
I had white cut chicken at a restaurant once, and the taste lingered in my mind for days. Today, I decided to try making it myself.
What is White Cut Chicken?
White Cut Chicken is a classic Cantonese dish known for its simplicity and fresh flavor. Originating in the Qing Dynasty, it was created by local restaurants and is called "White Cut" because the chicken is boiled without seasoning and served freshly chopped.
The dish features golden skin, white meat, and a rich, natural flavor. It's typically served with a refreshing dipping sauce made from ginger, garlic, and seasonings, highlighting the chicken's delicate texture.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Chicken: It’s recommended to use a "Three Yellow" chicken, as its meat is tender and the fat is evenly distributed, which improves the texture of White Cut Chicken.
Ginger: Adds a unique fragrance to the dish.
Scallions: Enhance the overall flavor.
Gardenia Fruit: Used to give the chicken a golden color, making it visually appealing.
Salt: Provides basic seasoning.
Fish Sauce: Adds umami and depth to the dipping sauce.
Substitutes
Chicken: If a whole chicken isn’t available, chicken thighs can be used instead. However, since thigh meat is fattier, you may need to extend the cooking time by 2-3 minutes.
Gardenia Fruit: If you don’t have gardenia fruit, you can use turmeric powder (about 1/2 teaspoon) as a substitute to achieve a similar golden color.
Fish Sauce: Light soy sauce can be used in place of fish sauce. While it provides a salty, savory taste, it lacks the unique flavor that fish sauce imparts to the dipping sauce.
Where to buy yellow zhi zi?
Yellow Zhi Zi is a small, dried fruit that has a bright yellow color. It’s often used in Chinese cooking for coloring and adding a subtle floral fragrance. You can usually find it at Asian grocery stores, or online on sites that sell Chinese herbs or ingredients. Just look for 'Yellow Zhi Zi' or 'Gardenia fruit'!
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
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·1 whole chicken
Accessories
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·5 slices of ginger
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·6-8 stalks of scallion
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·2 gardenia fruit (yellow zhi zi)
Seasonings
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·1/2 teaspoon salt
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·1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Preparation:
Clean the chicken, removing any feathers and innards, then rinse it well and drain. Prepare a large pot of water that can fully submerge the chicken.
Slice the ginger and scallions into pieces, and wash the gardenia fruit (yellow zhi zi) for later use.
Step 2
Add water, ginger slices, scallions, and yellow gardenia to the pot.
Step 3
Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, grab the chicken by the neck and dip it into the pot, letting it soak for a few seconds before lifting it out. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
This helps tighten the chicken skin, making it firmer.
Step 4
Afterward, fully submerge the chicken in the water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
Step 5
Cooling:
Once the chicken is done, immediately remove it from the pot and place it into a prepared ice bath.
This step helps the chicken skin tighten and become crisp. Let it soak in the ice water for 10-15 minutes.
Step 6
Cutting the Chicken:
Once cooled, remove the chicken from the ice bath, drain off the water, and chop it into even pieces.
Step 7
Making the Dipping Sauce:
Finely chop the remaining ginger and scallions. Place them in a bowl and add salt, fish sauce, and a bit of the poaching broth. Mix well to make a dipping sauce.
Step 8
Serve the cut chicken on a plate with the dipping sauce on the side for a delicious, traditional treat.
How to Check if the Chicken is Cooked Properly?
1. The most common method is to insert chopsticks into the thickest part of the chicken, like the thigh. If no blood runs out, the chicken is fully cooked.
2. Alternatively, you can use a food thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (like the breast). When the internal temperature reaches 74-82°C (165-180°F), the chicken is cooked and safe to eat.
FAQs:
You should control the water temperature to keep it at a gentle simmer, avoiding too much heat.
If the cooking time is too long, the chicken loses too much moisture, causing it to become dry and tough. For a 1-2 lb chicken, simmering on low for 15-20 minutes should be sufficient.
If this step is skipped or the chicken isn’t cooled long enough, the skin won’t achieve the desired crispness.
Additionally, if the chicken hasn't been scalded enough times, the skin may not have tightened properly, which can also cause this issue.
Secondly, in addition to using ginger, scallions, and gardenia flowers to remove the odor before boiling, you can also stuff the chicken cavity with ginger slices and scallion pieces to further reduce the smell.
Make sure to let the chicken cool thoroughly in ice water before cutting.
Also, the knife technique and cutting style matter: use a sharp knife and ensure steady, precise, and swift cuts to maintain the integrity of the meat.
