White Cut Chicken

白切鸡

White Cut Chicken is Cantonese poaching at its purest: silky skin, juicy meat, ginger-scallion dip. Ready in about 45 minutes for a banquet-worthy result.

Ingredients

• whole chicken (3–3.5 lb / 1.4–1.6 kg), air-chilled preferred
• ginger, thickly sliced (unpeeled)
• scallions, white and light green parts only, tied into a bundle
• rock sugar

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water; pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck wings behind back and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
2. In a stockpot large enough to fully submerge chicken, combine 2.5 L water, ginger slices, scallion bundle, and rock sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
3. Carefully lower chicken breast-side down into hot liquid. Once surface returns to a bare simmer (small bubbles barely breaking), reduce heat to low. Cover and poach gently for 25 minutes.
4. Turn off heat. Let chicken steep, covered, in residual heat for 15 minutes — do not lift lid.
5. Drain chicken and immediately plunge into an ice-water bath (3 L water + 1 kg ice) for 10 minutes. This firms skin and locks in moisture.