‘WHITE-CUT’ CHICKEN

Serves 8–12 as a starter, or 4 as a main course.

Preparation & cooking time: 25 mins & cooling time.

1 whole chicken (about 1.25kg (2½–2¾lb) without giblets)

about 1.5 litres (2½ pints)

water 2–3 spring onions, each tied into a knot

2–3 pieces ginger root, unpeeled and crushed

3–4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon salt

For the sauce:

6–8 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (optional)

1 teaspoon chilli sauce (optional)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Clean the chicken well, then pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a saucepan or pot, gently lower the chicken into the water with its breast-side up, and add the spring onion knots, ginger and rice wine. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and bring the water back to the boil, then add the salt and reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes only, keeping the lid very tightly shut all the time. Then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 6–8 hours; the bird will continue to cook gently in the hot water provided you put something heavy on top of the lid to make sure there is no escape of heat.

About an hour before you serve it, remove the chicken and drain. (The liquid can be used as a base for stock making.) Chop the chicken into 22–24bite-size pieces with a Chinese cleaver (see pages 38–39), then reassemble the bird on a serving platter. If you do not possess a cleaver, then carve the meat off the bone, and arrange neatly on a serving dish.

Mix all the sauce ingredients with a little liquid in which the chicken has been cooked. Either pour it evenly all over the chicken, or put it out on 2–3 small saucers to be used as a dip.

hancheng

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