Velvet Chicken
- 1 (3- to 31/2-lb) whole chicken
- 2 (14-oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup dark soy sauce* (see cooks' note, below)
- 1 cup Chinese rice wine* (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry
- 1/4 cup coarsely crushed yellow rock sugar* (2 oz) or 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 bunch scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 6 (1/4-inch-thick) round slices fresh ginger
- 4 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise (1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1 (2 1/2-inch) dried red chile
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan or black peppercorns
- Accompaniment: cooked rice or noodles
- Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves
- Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken, breast side down, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- (Chicken may not be completely covered with liquid.)
- Cook, covered, 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let chicken stand, covered, 30 minutes.
- Turn chicken over, then cover and let stand 15 minutes more.
- (Chicken will be cooked through.)
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, reserving cooking liquid.
- Cut off drumsticks and thighs, then cut off wings, transferring pieces to a serving platter.
- (Chicken will release juices.)
- Separate breast (with rib cage) from back, discarding back.
- Using a cleaver or other sharp large heavy knife, cut breast against grain through bone into 1-inch-thick slices.
- Spoon some of warm poaching liquid over chicken and serve chicken warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
- Pour remaining poaching liquid through a sieve set into a bowl and serve additional poaching liquid as a sauce if desired, then reserve remaining liquid to use again.
chicken, chicken broth, soy sauce, soy sauce, chinese rice wine, yellow rock sugar, scallions, ginger, orange zest, salt, cloves, anise, red chile, sichuan, accompaniment, fresh cilantro
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/velvet-chicken-109437 (may not work)