Red Cooked Chicken Eastern Chinese Style 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.

RED-COOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring chicken, water, soy sauce, sugar, Sherry, ginger, and star anise to a simmer, covered, in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Cook until meat is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a serving bowl and keep warm, covered.
• Skim off any fat from sauce and boil sauce until syrupy and reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture and whisk into sauce. Boil, whisking, until thickened and shiny, about 1 minute. Discard ginger and star anise.
• Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with scallions.

RED-COOKED CHICKEN WITH CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover the meat completely. Bring the water to a boil and parboil the chicken over medium heat for about 10 minutes, continuously skimming off any scum that forms on the surface. Drain the meat thoroughly.
• Put the chicken, chestnuts, 1½ cups water, wine, both soy sauces, ginger, and sugar in a large clay pot or Dutch oven with a cover. (Alternatively, this dish can be cooked in a slow cooker.) Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer the chicken, covered, for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender when pierced with a knife. During that time, replenish the liquid as needed to prevent scorching.

RED-COOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Over high heat, bring the first 8 ingredients to a boil in a large saute pan.
• Add the chicken and cover; reduce heat to medium.
• Simmer for 3o minutes, turn chicken over; cover and continue to cook an additional 10 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
• Boil the braising liquid, uncovered, until syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Strain through a sieve and spoon off any fat that rises.
• Brush sauce onto chicken to coat; garnish with sliced scallions and serve with extra sauce for dipping.

RED COOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken; brown 2 to 3 minutes per side; remove.
• Discard fat.
• Whisk in 1 1/2 cups water with next 6 ingredients.
• Add chicken. Cook uncovered, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes.
• Transfer chicken with slotted spoon to platter; cover and keep warm.
• Skim and discard fat from sauce.
• Return skillet to heat; bring to a boil.
• Blend cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water in bowl.
• Add to boiling sauce, whisking until thickened.
• Stir in sesame oil.
• Pour sauce over chicken.
• Garnish with cilantro and green onion and serve with rice.

RED COOKED CHICKEN, EASTERN CHINESE STYLE

Steps:

• Star anise (available in Asian markets) comes in cellophane bags.
• Whole ones have a total of eight points, each with an anise seed inside.
• If you can't find a whole one, just count out eight broken pieces.
• Use a little more or less to taste but don't omit it since it's an important element in this recipe.
• The original recipe calls for Chinese rock sugar which imparts a lustrous finish to the gravy.
• Available in Asian stores.
• Remove any excess fat from the chicken.
• Heat oil and brown chicken on all sides.
• Add the anise, scallions, ginger& garlic and brown slightly.
• Combine the soy sauces, brown sugar, stock and sherry and pour into the pot with the chicken.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down until the sauce is simmering slightly.
• Cook uncovered for 45- 50 minutes, turning and basting every 10 minutes.
• To serve just pull the meat off with a serving fork.
• Use the gravy on the chicken and on rice.

RED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place flour, salt, and black pepper into a resealable plastic zipper bag, close the bag, and shake several times to mix. Place chicken pieces into the bag, a few at a time, and shake to coat with seasoned flour; place chicken into the prepared baking dish.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the onion over the chicken pieces. Mix together the tomato sauce, water, chutney, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, ground mustard, and hot pepper sauce in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Pour the sauce over the onion and chicken.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling, the chicken is no longer pink inside, and the juices run clear, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).