Try this healthy version of the Chinese takeaway classic. In just 25 minutes you can feed the whole family a tasty healthy chicken dish that won't disappoint!

Healthy chicken chow mein

packet dried egg noodles

sesame oil

five-spice powder

chicken breast, thinly sliced

vegetable oil

ginger, peeled, finely grated

garlic cloves, crushed

oyster mushrooms,

snow peas, trimmed, halved

salt-reduced chicken stock

salt-reduced soy sauce

oyster sauce

kecap manis

bean sprouts,

coriander

red chilli,

Lime wedges, to serve

tsp sesame oil

tbsp salt-reduced soy sauce

tbsp kecap manis

All the chickens with head and feet that I’ve seen available at Asian supermarkets, are free range.  With free range chickens, they tend to have less meat since they’re leaner and have a thicker skin.  The thicker skin will make it more likely that the skin will look nice and intact after cooking.  So it’s quite a good choice for festive occasions.The following steaming time is for reference only.  Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.•	900g-1350g……...25-35 minutes•	1350g-1800g…….35-45 minutes•	1800g-2300g…….45-60 minutesNote:  the steaming time assumes that the chicken has feet attached to help to keep the chicken cavity open for better heat distribution.  If your chicken does not have feet attached, then you will need to add more time for steaming.

Easy Steamed Salted Whole Chicken 簡易蒸鹽焗雞

Whole Chicken

salt

onions

Ginger

Shallot (, halved)

Chinese sausage ((optional), aka “lap cheung”)

pkg Spicy Bake Mix

Tumeric powder

tbsp Oil

Green onions (, chopped)

Salt

tbsp Oil (, hot)

Wash the green onions and tie it into a knot and set aside

Cut the shallot in half and cut 2 slices of ginger.  Set aside

Blanche the Chinese sausage for 30 seconds in boiling water.  Remove from water and set aside

Take 1 tbsp of course salt and rub it over the chicken skin and the inside cavity, like you’re exfoliating it.  Then submerse in large mixing bowl to rinse off salt.

Cut off the nails on the chicken feet with a knife or kitchen shears

Bend and fold the chicken feet into the cavity of the chicken to keep the cavity open as wide as possible.

Sit the chicken with the cavity down in a colander to drain all the water and air-dry the skin for 60 minutes.  I find that drying it with a paper towel doesn’t dry it enough.  If you’re in a hurry, I suggest drying it with a hairdryer for a few minutes  This is a crucial step for achieving moist meat and the perfect skin

Combine one package of the Spicy Bake Mix with ½ tsp of turmeric powder  the purpose of the turmeric is to add a yellow colour to the chicken

Rub the combined powders onto the skin of the chicken as well as inside the cavity  If the skin of your chicken is so dry that the powders won’t stick to the chicken, make a paste with the powder using 1-2 tbsp of water or Shaoxing wine and then rub it on the chicken.  An FAQ that I get is, “why don’t you marinade the chicken before letting it air-dry?” I find that the chicken will lose some of its juices and natural flavours if marinated for over 15 minutes, but this is my personal preference.

Put the knotted green onions, shallot, ginger and Chinese sausage into the cavity of the chicken  The oil from the Chinese sausage will help flavour the chicken as well as keep the chicken moist

Rub 2 tbsp of oil onto the outside of the chicken  This will prevent the skin from breaking and to help keep the flavour on the chicken

Place the chicken, breast side down, onto a steaming dish and prepare the steamer on high heat Use a steaming plate with a higher lip because you’ll likely get a good amount of juice from the chicken and steam water. Save the juice from the steaming plate to make a sauce or for noodles

When the water in the steamer boils, put the chicken into the steamer

Steam on high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and steam for another 30 minutes.  This is for a 4 lb or 1800g chicken.  Refer to above reference guide for other weights

After total steaming time of 45 minutes, check the chicken for doneness.  Insert a chopstick or toothpick into the thickest part of the chicken, like the thigh meat, and pull it out.  If the juice that flows out is clear, then your chicken is done.  If you see some red or pink, then steam for another 5 to 10 minutes and check again.

Once your chicken is done, remove the lid and let the chicken rest either in or out of the steamer for 15 minutes

After 15 minutes, transfer the chicken from the steaming plate to a dry one

If you are chopping up the chicken, it would be best to chop it up when it has cooled I chopped the one in the picture after 30 minutes and it was still a bit warm

You can also debone it to make a hand shredded chicken

Serve and enjoy!

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Healthy chicken chow mein

Healthy chicken chow mein

Easy Steamed Salted Whole Chicken 簡...

Top 3 cny recipes from across the web

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Healthy chicken chow mein

Healthy chicken chow mein

Easy Steamed Salted Whole Chicken 簡...

The most viewed cny recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine