Steamed Whole Chicken with Goji Berries
A variation of Cantonese-style steamed white-cut chicken.
Servings 6 people
Cost $12-$15
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken organic
- 2 tbsp goji berries organic
- 2 tbsp salt to clean the bird
- 2 stalks green onions shredded
- 2 slices ginger cut at a 45 degree angle
- 2-4 cups water for steaming (don't be afraid to use more water than this)
Instructions
- Rinse the goji berries in a small bowl, and set aside.
- Clean the whole chicken thoroughly with by rubbing its skin vigorously with 2 tablespoon of salt. Make sure you rub off all the residual feathers, dirt and yellow film off the chicken. Remember to also salt the cavity of the chicken for flavor. Let it sit for a few minutes (dry-brining). Then rinse the chicken under cold water to wash off the excess salt and chicken grime.
- After rinsing the chicken, rub it with a sliced ginger to get rid of the smelliness or xing wei (腥味) of the chicken. Be sure to get all the surface area of the chicken skin.
- Put the chicken in a large, steam-proof glass or ceramic bowl that will fit inside your wok.
- Top the chicken with the rinsed goji berries, spreading them evenly on the whole bird. Then put one sliced ginger inside the cavity of the chicken, and another slice on the side of the chicken in the dish.
- Place the wok on top of the stove and the steaming rack onto the base of the wok. Then add water up to the level of the steaming rack (about 2-4 cups of water depending on the height of your steaming rack). Turn your stove on high heat, close the lid, and bring the water to a boil until you see steam coming out from the sides. (For the three-tier steaming pot, add water to the base layer, and place the chicken on the deepest tiered pot.)
- Place the bowl containing the whole chicken on top of the rack, and close the wok lid or steamer lid.
- Steam the chicken on high for 45 minutes, adding more water in intervals of 10-15 minutes to the level of the steaming rack.
- After 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the stove and rest the bird for 20 minutes before cutting it. Keep all the natural steaming juices on the bowl. If there's too much liquidy stock, transfer some of it into another smaller bowl for use later.
- When the chicken isn't hot to the touch anymore, cut it into bite-sized pieces (1" x 3" x 1") and rearrange it back onto the steaming bowl.
- Shred and slice 2 stalks of raw green onions and sprinkle them liberally onto the chicken to serve.
- Serve with hot rice.