Soy Sauce Chicken

Method13 steps · about 1 hr 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Keep the whole chicken (1) refrigerated until the poaching broth is ready. Remove the giblets and pat the bird dry without rinsing it. Choose a tall, relatively narrow pot that can safely contain the whole bird submerged in the full measured broth, with room to handle it and prevent overflow; check this fit before heating.

   Uses 1 whole chicken, about 4 lb (1.8 kg)

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat 2 tsp neutral oil in the chosen pot over medium-low heat. Add all 7 ginger slices and fry for about 30 seconds, watching the ginger.

   Check ginger · 1 minUses 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil) · 7 slices ginger

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add the 2 scallions, cut into roughly 3-inch pieces and smashed, to the ginger and oil from step 2. Fry for another 30 seconds.

   Check scallions · 1 minUses Ginger and oil · 2 scallions (cut into 7.6 cm/8cm pieces and smashed flat)

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the 3 star anise, ¾ cup Chinese rose wine and ¾ cup Shaoxing wine to the aromatics from step 3. Bring to a simmer so some alcohol cooks off. Add 2 cups light soy sauce, ½ cup dark soy sauce, 1¾ cups sugar, ¼ cup broth salt and all 12 cups water. Return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

   Simmer seasoned poaching broth · 20 minUses Ginger, scallions and oil · 3 whole star anise · ¾ cup Chinese rose wine (mei gui lu) · ¾ cup Shaoxing wine · 2 cups light soy sauce · ½ cup dark soy sauce · 1¾ cups sugar · ¼ cup salt for the soy poaching broth

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Bring the seasoned broth from step 4 to a slow boil, avoiding a rolling boil. Carefully lower the cold chicken from step 1 breast-side up, filling its cavity with broth and keeping the bird submerged.

   Uses Seasoned soy poaching broth · Prepared cold whole chicken

6. 6

   Step 6: Keep the chicken and broth from step 5 over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, without letting the broth boil violently.

   Exchange chicken cavity liquid · 5 minUses Whole chicken in soy poaching broth

7. 7

   Step 7: Carefully lift the chicken from step 6 enough to empty its cooler cavity liquid back into the same pot. Lower it back into the broth and refill the cavity, eliminating air pockets. Keep the chicken submerged; baste any small exposed area with the hot broth.

   Uses Chicken and poaching broth after initial heating

8. 8

   Step 8: Return the chicken and broth from step 7 to a lazy simmer over medium-high heat. The source allows about 5 minutes for this recovery, but wait until a steady gentle simmer has returned before proceeding.

   Uses Chicken with exchanged cavity liquid and retained broth

9. 9

   Step 9: Cover the gently simmering chicken and broth from step 8 and reduce the heat to maintain that lazy simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, keeping the bird submerged and basting any slightly exposed area as needed.

   Turn heat off after covered simmer · 25 minUses Chicken and broth at a lazy simmer

10. 10

    Step 10: Turn off the heat under the pot from step 9 and leave it covered for 25 minutes. Then check several thick breast and inner-thigh locations, avoiding bone: all must reach 74°C (165°F). If any point is below that temperature, resume gentle heating and continue until the chicken is fully cooked throughout. Lift the cooked chicken onto a board, carefully draining its cavity back into the pot; retain the broth separately.

    Check chicken after off-heat cooking · 25 minUses Chicken and retained soy broth after covered simmer

11. 11

    Step 11: Let the lifted, fully cooked chicken from step 10 rest for 10–15 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. Keep the retained poaching broth from step 10 separate for brushing, serving and storage.

    Check rested chicken · 10 minUses Chicken only, excluding the retained poaching broth · Pot broth only, excluding the lifted chicken

12. 12

    Step 12: Carve the rested chicken from step 11. Brush its skin with a little of the retained broth from step 11 and serve some broth as sauce, as desired. Offer ready cooked plain rice and ready ginger-scallion oil alongside if desired; keep the remaining broth separate.

    Uses Chicken only, excluding retained broth · Unmeasured serving draw; retain the remaining broth separately · Ready cooked plain rice for serving, as desired · Ready ginger-scallion oil for serving, as desired

13. 13

    Step 13: If keeping the remaining broth from step 12, strain it through a fine strainer, then a finer strainer to remove small particles. Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C/90°F), or freeze for longer keeping. Thaw frozen broth in the refrigerator and reheat it to 74°C (165°F) before a later use. Keep that later batch separate from this meal.

    Uses Only broth left after brushing and serving; final amount is unmeasured