Chinese Simmer Chicken Recipes

CANTONESE POACHED CHICKEN (BAI QIE JI)

Steps:

• Make sure your chicken is at room temperature (trying to poach a cold chicken right out of the refrigerator will result in uneven cooking or undercooking). Clean the chicken by rinsing it under cold water, paying special attention to the cavity. Any giblets should already be removed but there may still be organs on the inside that should be removed or sometimes stray feathers that need to be plucked. Experts recommend that it's not necessary to wash your chicken before cutting and cooking but in this case for a whole chicken (especially if you get it from a live poultry place or even from Asian markets), it's a step that shouldn't be skipped, in my opinion. When washing and prepping the whole chicken, be very careful about splashing water and contaminating surfaces with unwanted bacteria. Be careful not to break or trim away any of the skin on the chicken, as you don't want the meat exposed to the boiling water as it cooks. This will ensure a moist, silky texture in the final product.
• Fill a large stock pot with water, just enough to submerge the chicken completely. You can determine this by putting the entire chicken in the pot, filling it with water until the chicken is submerged, and then removing the chicken. Do not turn on the heat while the chicken is still in the pot! This method of ensuring you have just enough water to submerge the chicken (and avoiding any extra) will ensure you have a more flavorful stock to save at the end. We used about 18 cups of water to submerge a 4 pound chicken in a deep stock pot.
• Once you have your water properly measured into the pot, add 2 scallions and 5 slices of ginger, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, slowly lower the chicken into the pot, legs down and head up. It's ok if the breast is peeking out of the water a bit. The water will cool down and stop boiling when you add the chicken, so bring it up to a boil once again, and do not walk away from the pot.
• Once the water boils again, IMMEDIATELY lift the chicken out of the water very carefully. You can carefully hook two wooden spoons under the wings to lift the chicken up. The goal is to empty any colder water that may be trapped inside the cavity. Once you've released that water, lower the chicken back into the pot, and bring to a boil again.
• When the water is JUST starting to boil, turn the heat down. Keep it at barely a simmer. There should be very little movement in the water, but it also shouldn't be still. Cover the pot, and keep the heat around the lowest setting so the liquid continues to simmer slowly. Cook for about 35-40 minutes, roughly 10-11 minutes per pound. Depending on the size of your chicken, it may take more or less time to cook it through. You can check to make sure the water is bubbling slowly/gently and not boiling too vigorously, but try to avoid uncovering the pot while it's cooking.
• Poke a chopstick or skewer into the thigh to check for doneness. If the juices run clear, it's done. Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and transfer it to a large bowl of ice water. Cool completely.
• While the chicken is cooling, make the sauce. You have the option to make two versions-one with just scallions, ginger, oil and salt, and one with soy sauce. The plain version is more traditional, as it really lets the flavors of chicken, ginger, and scallion shine through. Judy loves to add soy sauce, and it's also a tasty option! Start with the plain version, and then scoop some of it out into another bowl and add soy sauce. Try both and see which your loved ones like best!
• When the chicken is out of the ice water, you can brush it lightly with oil or some of the fat floating atop the poaching liquid to give it that enticing, shiny look!
• To serve, carve your chicken into pieces that you can easily grab with chopsticks. Serve with your sauce(s) and some steamed rice.

SIMMERED CHINESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken and remove"the goodies" from the inside, pat dry with papertowels.
• Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pan.
• Brown the chicken on all sides.
• Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 c water, catsup, sherry, red pepper, garlic and green onion together.
• Pour mixture over chicken.
• Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a serving platter.
• Dissolve the 2 T of cornstarch in 1 T of water.
• Add to the sauce in the pan, over low heat, to thicken.
• Pour sauce over chicken.
• We serve this with rice and pour the sauce over the rice as well.

CHINESE SIMMER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken.
• Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, catsup, sherry (or apple juice), pepper flakes, garlic and onion together.
• Add mixture to chicken and simmer for 35-45 minutes.
• Blend cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and add to sauce to thicken.
• Garnish with seeds and serve.

SIMMERED CHINESE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in big pot, and brown chicken on all sides.
• Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, water, catsup, apple juice, red pepper flakes, garlic and green onion.
• Pour mixture over chicken in pot.
• Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-45 minutes.
• Remove chicken to platter (debone, if desired, and cut into bite sized pieces.).
• Skim fat off top of sauce.
• Blend together cold water and cornstarch and stir into sauce.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until thick.
• Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds and more sliced green onion.
• Serve with rice and sauce.

SIMMERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt butter in vegetable oil in a large skillet. Brown chicken on all sides.
• Add 1 tsp salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, broth and wine. Cover and cook 30 min or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and set aside.
• Bring to a boil. Mix flour with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth; stir into boiling sauce and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Cook egg noodles in 4 qt boiling salted water. When cooked, drain and pour noodles into a serving dish. Top with chicken and sauce. Garnish with parsley.

BOILED CHICKEN, CHINESE STYLE

Steps:

• Fill a large kettle with water, and bring to a boil. (An 8 quart pot two-thirds filled with water works great for a 2 1/2 - 3 pound bird). When the water boils, place the whole cleaned chicken into it. When the water stops boiling, take the chicken out. Cover the pot, and when the water again boils, place the chicken back in the pot. Cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Leave the chicken in the pot and the pot on the burner. After 1 hour the chicken is done. Remove and cool.
• You can debone this chicken in very little time. If you are on a low-salt/low-fat diet, be sure to remove the skin. Save the juices that flow from the bird when deboning because this liquid contains a great deal of natural gelatin and will help keep the bird moist if you should decide to store the meat in the refridgerator. The chicken is ready to serve or use.

SALSA SIMMERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season chicken breasts all over with salt and black pepper.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts in hot oil until browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Pour salsa and chicken broth over chicken, bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn chicken over, stir salsa mixture, and continue to simmer until chicken is tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).