Cantonese Poached Chicken with Ginger Oil
Silky poached chicken breast served with a fragrant ginger-scallion oil, a Cantonese classic that tastes restaurant-quality but takes just 20 minutes. Serve with steamed rice to soak up the aromatic oil.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 2 whole (about 1 lb total) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 3 oz (about a 3-inch piece) ginger, fresh
- 4 whole scallions
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon total salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Peel the ginger by scraping it with the edge of a spoon, pressing the spoon flat against the skin and pushing downward to remove the papery layer, working around the entire piece until it looks pale gold and clean.
- 2
Slice the ginger against the grain into very thin slices about 1/8-inch thick, like slicing through a coin, producing translucent pieces that are as thin as paper.
- 3
Cut each scallion crosswise into 2-inch pieces (the straight-across cuts that make short cylinders), keeping the white and green parts separate.
- 4
Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot, set it over high heat, and wait until large bubbles break the surface aggressively — about 5 minutes when the water is already boiling.
- 5
Carefully lower both chicken breasts into the boiling water using tongs; the water should return to a gentle boil within 30 seconds.
- 6
Once the water is boiling again, turn the heat down to low so just tiny bubbles rise slowly from the bottom — this is called a gentle simmer — and set a timer for 12 minutes.
- 7
After 12 minutes, remove the pot from heat and cover it with a lid, then let the chicken sit in the hot water for 5 minutes without lifting the lid, allowing the residual heat to finish cooking the centers.
- 8
Lift the chicken out onto a cutting board using tongs and let it rest for 2 minutes until it is cool enough to handle but still warm.
- 9
Pour the olive oil into a small skillet, set it over medium heat, and wait until the oil shimmers and slides when you tilt the pan — about 60 seconds — then remove from heat immediately.
- 10
Add the ginger slices to the hot oil and stir gently for 15 seconds, letting them toast and release their fragrance, then add the white scallion pieces and stir for another 10 seconds.
- 11
Pour in 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir once with a spoon to combine, creating a warm, fragrant oil sauce.
- 12
Slice each chicken breast crosswise against the grain (perpendicular to the long lines of muscle fiber) into half-inch-thick slices, which will appear tender and easily separate.
- 13
Arrange the chicken slices on a serving plate in a slightly overlapping pattern, then carefully pour the warm ginger oil and all the ginger pieces over the chicken.
- 14
Scatter the green scallion pieces on top as a garnish, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and pepper if desired, and serve immediately while the oil is still warm.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot with lid
- tongs
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- small skillet or saucepan
- wooden spoon
- serving plate
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
