Steaming Chinese Chicken: A Beginner's Guide To Deliciousness

Chinese steamed chicken is a traditional homestyle Cantonese dish that is easy to prepare, healthy, and delicious. The dish is typically made with bite-size pieces of chicken that are marinated in a gingery oyster-sauce-based sauce and then steamed until juicy and tender. It is a popular dish in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, where it is often served directly to retain the natural taste of high-quality chicken.

The steaming method is a simple and popular way of cooking chicken in Chinese cuisine, preserving the flavour and resulting in a tender texture. The dish can be prepared in advance and is quick to cook, making it a perfect appetizer or main dish for dinner.

Marinating the chicken

Firstly, clean the chicken under running water and remove any internal organs, such as the liver, gizzard, and heart. Cut away the tips of the claws and the tail, and remove the fat surrounding it. Fold the chicken feet and neck and tuck them into the cavity.

Next, rub coarse salt all over the chicken, including the cavity. The coarse salt helps to clean the chicken and remove any unwanted odours. Rinse off the salt and pat the chicken dry.

Now, it's time to apply the marinade. You can use a variety of ingredients for the marinade, but common ones include soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine or Shaoxing wine, ginger, garlic, green onions, and white pepper. Mix these ingredients with the chicken in a bowl, ensuring that the chicken absorbs most of the liquid.

For an extra silky and luxurious texture, you can also add cornstarch to the marinade. This technique is called "velveting" and is often used in Chinese cooking.

Once the chicken has absorbed the marinade, cover it and let it sit at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours, or refrigerate it overnight.

If you are using dried lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms, it is recommended to soak them while the chicken is marinating. After soaking, cut the mushrooms into small pieces and dry both ingredients thoroughly with paper towels.

After the marinating time is complete, you can proceed to the steaming step. Place the chicken on a deep heatproof plate, ensuring that it is in a single layer. Sprinkle green onions or scallions on top and add the soaked lily flowers and wood ear mushrooms if desired.

Preparing the sauce

Firstly, gather your ingredients. The sauce for Chinese-style steamed chicken typically includes oyster sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, and sugar. Some recipes also call for Chinese cooking wine, chicken cooking wine, or rice wine. You can also add garlic and green onions to the sauce for extra flavour.

Next, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to combine them well so that the sauce is uniform in texture and colour. You can adjust the amounts of each ingredient to your taste, but typically, the sauce should be savoury with a hint of sweetness from the sugar.

If you are adding garlic and green onions, heat some vegetable oil or sesame oil in a pan until it is very hot, but not smoking. Then, pour the hot oil over the garlic and green onions. This will cook them slightly and bring out their flavours. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before serving.

Finally, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may want to add more soy sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness, or white pepper for spice. The sauce should complement the chicken without overpowering its natural flavour.

Steaming the chicken

Steaming is one of the simplest and most popular ways to cook chicken in China, especially in the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. It is also a traditional homestyle Cantonese dish. This is because steaming is an easy, healthy, and tasty way to prepare chicken.

To steam chicken, you will need a steamer. If you have a rice cooker, you can steam the chicken in that. Alternatively, you can fill a large pot with 1-2 inches of water, place a heatproof plate or bowl upside down inside, and arrange the chicken on top. Cover the pot with a lid, and bring the water to a simmer to start steaming.

To prepare the chicken for steaming, you should first clean it under running water. You can use a whole chicken, or chicken thighs/breasts. If you are using a whole chicken, you should remove any internal organs (liver, gizzard, heart) from the cavity. You should also cut away the tips of the claws and the tail (butt) of the chicken, removing the fat surrounding it. Fold the chicken feet and neck and tuck them into the cavity.

The next step is to marinate the chicken. You can do this by spreading a sauce evenly over the chicken, or by rubbing salt into the chicken. A simple sauce can be made by mixing oyster sauce, light soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl. You can also add in ginger and green onion shreds/slices, and rice wine or Shaoxing wine. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for longer (up to overnight) to maximise the flavour.

After marinating, place the chicken on a large plate and put it in the steamer. Steam the chicken for around 20 minutes over medium heat. After switching off the heat, leave the chicken in the steamer for another 15-25 minutes.

To check if the chicken is cooked, you can use a kitchen thermometer to see if the temperature of the thickest part of the chicken has reached 70°C/160°F. Alternatively, you can pierce the chicken with a chopstick or a toothpick and check if any juice stained with blood is oozing out. If there is no blood, the chicken is cooked.

Garnishing the dish

Some recipes suggest garnishing with green onions or cilantro. If you are serving the chicken with a dipping sauce, you can place the sauce in a bowl alongside the chicken.

Serving suggestions

Chinese steamed chicken is a versatile dish that can be served as a main course or appetiser. It is often accompanied by rice, which pairs well with the juices released from the chicken during steaming.

For a simple, traditional presentation, serve the chicken on a bed of rice, garnished with green onions. You can also serve it with a side of vegetables, such as steamed mushrooms and dried lily flowers, which complement the chicken with their earthy flavour.

If you want to elevate the dish, consider adding a dipping sauce. A ginger and green onion sauce is a perfect pairing, as it enhances the natural taste of the chicken without overpowering it. To make this sauce, grate young ginger and discard the fibrous parts. Coarsely chop the white sections of the green onions and place them in a heat-resistant bowl with the ginger. Season with salt, sugar, and ground white pepper. Heat vegetable oil until it reaches its smoking point, then pour it over the ginger and green onions. Allow the mixture to sizzle and cool before serving.

Another option is to create a savoury sauce to pour over the chicken. Mix oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and water, heating the mixture until it boils. This sauce will form a thick coating on the chicken, creating a strong contrast with the juicy, tender meat.

Finally, if you're serving the dish as an appetiser, consider portioning out the ingredients and steaming them in smaller batches to ensure even cooking.

Frequently asked questions