Soy-Poached Chicken
- 3 cups mushroom-flavored soy sauce, or any dark soy sauce
- 3 cups (one bottle) mei kuei lu chiew wine, or any floral, off-dry white wine, like Gewürztraminer or Muscat
- 2 pieces star anise
- 14 ounces yellow rock sugar (1 box), or 1 cup white sugar
- 3 ounces ginger (about a 5-inch knob), cut into thick slices and bruised with the side of a knife
- 10 medium scallions, untrimmed
- 1 whole chicken (2½ to 3 pounds)
Instructions:
The preparation is simple: You boil the soy and wine along with some water, ginger, and crushed sugar, adding star anise, ginger, and scallion for flavor.
- In a narrow pot with about a 6-quart capacity, combine the soy sauce, wine, 2 cups water, and 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 equal parts 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 500°F, if you like.
- 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. Pour another cup or so of the sauce in a bowl and add the minced scallions; pass this at the table.