Serious Eats - seriouseats.com
What's Fresh
Dinner Tonight: Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Scallions
I don’t steam much, and when I do it usually involves a lot of crabs or, more likely than not, vegetables. It’s an underused technique in my household, besides one that doesn’t pop up very often in the materials I read. My connotation of steaming is a bad one, for it’s one that health food magazines recommend to help cut fat, but I know many cuisines regularly use steaming without a healthy thought in their minds. I’d have to give it a try.
I found this recipe for steamed chicken with ginger and scallions in Chinatown, New York: Portraits, Recipes, and Memories by Ann Volkwein. The real reason I picked this was because of the sauce, which I ended up having a little trouble with the consistency—perhaps I cooked it too long—but the chicken was surprisingly good. Tender and perfumed from the mixture spread on top, it was more than worth the effort.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 4 |
Ingredients
- 1 small chicken, cut into breasts and legs
- 6 tablespoons ginger, shredded
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
Procedures
-
1
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons of ginger, 2 chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat the chicken pieces with the mixture.
-
2
Set a steamer basket over the boiling water. Set the chicken pieces in and cook until done, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
-
3
When the chicken is almost done, heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil, then add 4 tablespoons of ginger, 4 scallions, 2 cloves garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
-
4
While that is quickly cooking, mix together the cornstarch and chicken stock. When the 30 seconds is up, add the mixture. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened. Pour in 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, and turn off the heat.
-
5
Plate the chicken and pour the sauce on top.
Comments