Yunnan Steamed Pot Chicken
Submitted by carolec
A classic Yunnan province dish: whole chicken gently steamed for 2 hours with ginger, scallions, and rice wine, producing silky tender meat and a pure, golden broth.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is Chinese cooking at its most meditative and most rewarding.
A whole chicken, blanched and rinsed clean, steams gently for two full hours with nothing more than fresh ginger, scallions, chicken stock, and a splash of rice wine.
No heavy sauces, no complicated spice blends.
Just patience and good ingredients.
The result is impossibly tender meat that practically slides off the bone and a clear, golden broth with a depth of flavor that will stop you mid-sip.
Traditionally made in a special Yunnan steam pot (a clay vessel with a central chimney), but a heatproof casserole with a rack works just as well.
Kitchen Tips
- Blanching the chicken first removes impurities and excess fat, which is what keeps the final broth crystal clear
- Keep the steam at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, for the most tender meat
- Check the water level in your steamer every 30 minutes and top it up with hot water so it doesn’t run dry
- Skim the fat from the surface of the broth before serving for the cleanest, purest flavor
- Serve with soy-ginger or chili-sesame dipping sauces on the side for the chicken pieces
Ingredients
Directions
BLANCH THE CHICKEN for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling water.
Remove the chicken and rinse thoroughly in cold running water.
Place the chicken pieces around the Yunnan pot or on a rack set into a heat-proof casserole.
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, and scatter the ginger pieces and scallions over the top.
Pour in the chicken stock and rice wine or sherry.
Cover and gently steam on stove for 2 hours, replenishing the hot water from time to time if needed.
Remove the ginger and scallion pieces. With a spoon, skim off all the surface fat.
Ladle the soup into a tureen, and pass the chicken on a platter with dipping sauces.
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