Steaming Chicken: A Healthy, Delicious, And Easy Dish

Steaming is a popular method of cooking chicken in Asian cuisine, particularly in China and Southeast Asia. It is a healthy cooking technique that retains the flavour, tenderness and moisture of the meat without the use of additional fat. Chicken can be steamed with a traditional steamer that fits on top of a saucepan, by using a rack that sits in the bottom of a tightly covered pan, or by using an electric steamer. This paragraph will explore the process of steaming chicken in a steamer, including preparation, cooking and serving suggestions.

How to Cook Steam Chicken in a Steamer

Preparing the chicken

Firstly, select the right type of chicken. Boneless chicken breasts are ideal for steaming, and smaller whole birds like Cornish hens can also be used. If you want to use a whole chicken, it is recommended to cut it into chunks or large pieces before steaming. Organic younger chicken is commonly used in steamed dishes as it has a more delicate flavour and texture.

Next, prepare your chicken for marination. If you have time, it is recommended to sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight or for at least half an hour. This process helps to tenderise the meat and enhance its flavour. Rinse the chicken thoroughly under running water to remove the excess salt before proceeding to the next step.

Now, it's time to add flavour to your chicken. You can use various ingredients to marinate your chicken, such as ginger, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, and even wine. These ingredients not only add taste but also help to remove any raw chicken taste. Spread your chosen marinating sauce evenly over the chicken, making sure to coat all sides. You can also add some aromatics, such as lemongrass, to the boiling water later to infuse even more flavour into the chicken.

After marinating, it's important to let the chicken rest. Place the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat. This step is crucial in ensuring your chicken is packed with flavour.

Finally, prepare your steamer. Fill the steamer pot with water, adding any additional ingredients like herbs or vegetables for extra flavour. Bring the water to a boil, ensuring it reaches a full boil with high heat. Place the chicken in the steamer basket, leaving a little room around each piece to allow the steam to circulate freely.

By following these steps, you will be well on your way to preparing delicious and juicy steamed chicken!

Setting up the steamer

To set up your steamer, start by filling your chosen steamer pot with water. You should fill it to about one inch or halfway up the pot. If you're using a traditional steamer, place it on top of a saucepan. Alternatively, you can use a rack that sits inside a tightly covered pan, suspending the chicken above the water. Electric steamers are also an option.

Place the steamer pot on high heat and bring the water to a full boil. If you want to infuse your chicken with extra flavour, add aromatics like lemongrass or ingredients like onions, carrots, celery, or gingerroot to the boiling water. You can also marinate the chicken before steaming to give it a distinctive flavour.

Once the water is boiling, place the chicken in the steamer. Make sure to leave a little room around each piece so that the steam can circulate freely and cook the meat evenly. If you're using a rack or tray setup, place the chicken in a heatproof dish and put that on the rack in the pot. Ensure that the water isn't boiling up around the heatproof dish.

Cover the steamer with a lid and start timing. Your chicken should be ready in about 8 to 10 minutes. Check to see if it's cooked through, and if so, remove it from the steamer. You can use the leftover water as a broth or to make a sauce to accompany your chicken.

Cooking the chicken

To cook juicy and tender steamed chicken, you'll need to prepare your chicken, prepare your steamer, and then cook the chicken.

Prepare the chicken

Firstly, decide if you want to marinate the chicken. This will infuse the chicken with flavour. You can do this by covering the chicken with salt and placing it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the chicken with salt one day before cooking. You can also add aromatics, such as lemongrass, to the boiling water to infuse the chicken with extra flavour.

Next, rinse the chicken thoroughly under running water to remove any salt.

Prepare the steamer

Place a steamer basket into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil.

Cook the chicken

Place the chicken in the steamer, leaving a little room around each piece. This allows the steam to circulate freely, cooking the meat at a more even rate. Cover and steam the chicken for 20-30 minutes, until the juices run clear.

Prepare the sauce

Place a pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Once hot, add an onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or 3-5 minutes until tender and translucent. Add garlic and fry for another minute, stirring regularly. Pour in soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat.

Serve

Place the cooked chicken on a plate and ladle the onion sauce over it. You can scatter cilantro leaves on top and serve with rice.

Making a sauce

Once your chicken is cooked through, it's time to make the sauce. For a simple sauce, you can use the water that the chicken was steamed in as a base. This will already have lots of flavour from the chicken and any aromatics you added to the steamer. Simply remove the chicken from the steamer and use the water as a broth.

If you want to make a more complex sauce, you can add aromatics and herbs to the steamer while the chicken is cooking. These can include onions, carrots, celery, ginger, or garlic. You can also add aromatics like lemongrass directly to the boiling water to infuse the chicken with extra flavour.

To make an Asian-style sauce, place a pan over medium heat and add some vegetable oil. Once hot, add an onion and cook until translucent. Then, add some garlic and fry for another minute. Finally, pour in soy sauce and sesame oil, and toss to coat. Spoon this sauce over your steamed chicken and garnish with fresh cilantro.

For a Chinese-style sauce, heat up some sesame oil in a saucepan and stir-fry chopped garlic and green onion until fragrant. Then, add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and water. Bring the sauce to a boil, then transfer to a dipping bowl and let it cool down a little before serving with your chicken.

Serving suggestions

Steamed chicken is a popular dish in Southeast Asian countries, where it is typically served with chicken rice. It is also a common cooking method in Chinese cuisine, as it is simple, quick, and always results in tender meat.

When serving steamed chicken, there are several options to choose from. Firstly, you can serve the chicken with a dipping sauce. An oyster-based sauce is a great option, as it complements the juicy and tender steamed chicken. This type of sauce is commonly used in southern China and is known for its thick, paste-like texture. Alternatively, you can serve the chicken with a sauce made from onions, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This sauce can be ladled over the chicken, and the dish can be garnished with cilantro or scallions.

Additionally, steamed chicken can be served with vegetables. When steaming the chicken, you can add vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, and gingerroot to the steamer to infuse the chicken with extra flavour. These vegetables can be served alongside the chicken as a tasty and healthy option.

Finally, steamed chicken can be served on its own, as the steaming process helps to preserve the natural taste of high-quality chicken. This option is popular in the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of China, where people enjoy the simplicity of the dish.

Frequently asked questions