Chinese Steamed Chicken with Ginger Scallion Sauce

Step 1

Pat dry the chicken. Rub salt on the whole chicken and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Make sure to get some salt in the cavity as well. Use more salt if needed.

Step 2

The next day, toast the coriander and fennel on the stove for 10-20 seconds.

Step 3

Add coriander, fennel, and the ginger to a small cheese cloth. Tie the ends together to make it into a small spice package. Stuff it into the cavity of the chicken.

Step 4

Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together to close the cavity. Use a second piece of twine to tie the legs to the tail. Finally, use one more piece of twine to tie around the length of the chicken (see picture above). The twine should go between the legs and wrap around the length of the chicken. Optional: You can use one more piece of twine to around the height of the chicken which will help you lift it out of the steamer.

Step 5

Prepare your steamer pot. Place a heat proof plate on your steamer attachment. Bring water to a boil. Add the chicken to the steamer. Let the chicken steam for 30 minutes.

Step 6

After 30 minutes, turn off the heat and let the chicken sit for another 20 minutes.

Step 7

Carefully take out the chicken with tongs, and remove the spice package from the cavity. Pour the steaming liquid into a small bowl. This liquid can be used in future dishes or to cook the rice.

Step 8

Let it cool completely (~10 minutes).

Step 9

Once it is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Serve with rice and ginger scallion sauce. The chicken can be served at room temperature or cold.

Step 10

Add ginger and green onions to a food processor and pulse until both are broken down. I used only the light colored parts of 5 green onions, so my ginger scallion oil will have a light green color. Dump the ginger and green onions into a small bowl.

Step 11

Heat oil over medium heat for ~1-2 minutes. Pour over ginger and green onions. Add salt and stir. Set aside.