Soy-Poached Chicken
- 3 cups soy sauce
- 3 cups (1 bottle) Mei Kuei Lu Chiew wine or any floral, off-dry white wine, like Gewurztraminer or Muscat
- 2 whole star anise
- One 14-ounce box yellow rock sugar or 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 ounces (about a 5-inch knob) fresh ginger, peeled, cut into thick slices, and bruised with the side of a knife
- 10 medium scallions, untrimmed
- One 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat
- In a narrow pot with about a 6-quart capacity, combine the soy sauce, wine, 2 cups water, and the star anise over high heat.
- While the sugar is still in its box (or wrapped in a towel), smack it several times with a hammer or rolling pin to break it up; it need not be too fine.
- Add the sugar and ginger to the liquid and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Add 6 of the scallions, then gently and slowly lower the chicken into the liquid, breast side down.
- (In a narrow pot, the liquid will easily cover the chicken; if it is close, just dunk the chicken under the liquid as it cooks.
- If it is not close, add a mixture of soy sauce and water to raise the level.)
- Bring the liquid back to a boil and boil steadily for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and turn the chicken over so the breast side is up.
- Let it sit in the hot liquid for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, trim and mince the remaining 4 scallions and preheat the oven to 500F.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the liquid and serve it hot or at room temperature.
- Or place it in a skillet or roasting pan.
- Roast for 5 minutes, or until nicely browned; keep an eye on it, because it can burn easily.
- In either case, reheat the sauce and, when the chicken is ready, carve it.
- Serve the chicken with a few spoonfuls of sauce on it.
- Put another cup or so of the sauce in a bowl and add the remaining scallions; pass this at the table.
soy sauce, mei, star anise, sugar, ginger, scallions, chicken
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/soy-poached-chicken-386365 (may not work)