麻豆约拍

Serves 4听

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 1hr 30 mins plus resting time

听

Ingredients

1 whole fresh free-range chicken (about 1.6kg)

1 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves

1 spring onion, roughly chopped

2.5cm knob of fresh ginger

300g fragrant jasmine rice

1tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 cucumber, peeled & chopped

听

Method

1.

Rub the chicken inside & out with the salt & leave to stand for 1hr.

2.

Place the garlic, spring onion & ginger inside the chicken & place it in a pot just large enough to hold it. 听Cover (barely) with cold water. 听

3.

Gently bring to the boil, then simmer very gently for 30 mins, skimming off any froth that gathers on surface.

4.

Turn off the heat, cover & leave for 30 mins to complete the cooking. 听

5.

Make the dipping sauce according to the recipe below.

6.

After 30 mins, wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear, not cloudy. 听Drain well & place in a lidded saucepan.

7.

Cover with enough chicken broth to reach up to the first knuckle of your forefinger, the tip resting on the surface of the rice. 听

8.

Bring to the boil, cover, then simmer very gently for 20 mins.

9.

In the meantime remove the chicken from the broth, run it quickly under running water, then rub the skin with sesame oil.

10.

Boil the chicken broth for 10 mins to concentrate the flavour & add the oyster sauce.

11.

Chop the chicken in the Chinese manner, using a cleaver.

12.

Halve the bird along the breastbone. 听Cut wings & drumsticks away from breast, then chop each joint & each breast into 2.5cm strips.

13.

Arrange on a serving platter, moisten with a little of the chicken broth & cover with foil until serving.

14.

Remove the cooked rice from the heat & fluff it with a fork, then keep warm until serving.

15.

Scatter the chicken with spring onions & serve with bowls of hot chicken broth sliced cucumber, rice & the ginger & spring onion dipping sauce.

16.

You eat rice, sip broth, crunch cucumber, dip chicken & generally devour everything.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 mins

听

Ingredients

6 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 tsp salt

3 spring onions

听

Method

1.

To make the dipping sauce, warm the oil gently with ginger & salt until the salt dissolves.

2.

Finely chop the green stems of the spring onions & add them to the warm oil, stirring as they wilt & soften, then remove from the heat & set aside until ready to eat.

听

Nigel's Top Tip

• Ginger & spring onions are one of the oldest flavour combinations in China, & this dipping sauce is perfect not only with chicken, but also with prawns & steamed fish, or simply tossed with boiled noodles as a quick dish.