White Cut Chicken
白切鸡
White Cut Chicken — CantoneseGuangzhou home cooking.
Ingredients
- whole chicken (3–3.5 lb / 1.4–1.6 kg), air-chilled preferred
- ginger, thickly sliced (unpeeled)
- scallions, white and light green parts only, tied into a bundle
- rock sugar
Instructions
- Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water; pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck wings behind back and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
- In a stockpot large enough to fully submerge chicken, combine 2.5 L water, ginger slices, scallion bundle, and rock sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
- Carefully lower chicken breast-side down into hot liquid. Once surface returns to a bare simmer (small bubbles barely breaking), reduce heat to low. Cover and poach gently for 25 minutes. (Liquid shimmers faintly; tiny bubbles rise intermittently at edges)
- Turn off heat. Let chicken steep, covered, in residual heat for 15 minutes — do not lift lid.
- Drain chicken and immediately plunge into an ice-water bath (3 L water + 1 kg ice) for 10 minutes. This firms skin and locks in moisture. (Skin turns pearly white and taut; flesh feels springy to touch)
