White Cut Chicken

Method

1. 1

   Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead. Pull out any visible pinfeathers and the giblets. Pat it dry.

2. 2

   Put the ginger slices, the 3 scallions, and the tablespoon of salt in a pot deep enough to cover the chicken. Fill it with water and bring it to a boil. Lower the chicken in, breast up. If it is not covered, add more boiling water. Bring it back to a gentle simmer, then cover and turn the heat to the lowest setting that keeps the water steaming, not rolling.

3. 3

   Poach 30 to 40 minutes. The thigh at the bone must read 165°F. A hard boil tears the skin and dries the breast. If the breast is at 165°F and the thigh is not, keep the pot covered on low heat and check again in 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Lift the chicken into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. This stops the cooking and firms the skin. Drain it. Chop it through the bone into pieces, the Cantonese way, or carve it if you would rather.

5. 5

   Stir the minced ginger, minced scallion, and the teaspoon of salt. Heat the avocado oil until it shimmers, and pour it over the ginger and scallion so they sizzle. Serve the sauce beside the chicken, not poured over the whole platter, so the meat stays clean.

From the kitchen

• A restaurant ginger-scallion sauce is often half a cup of oil. Three tablespoons is enough to bloom the ginger. There is no sesame oil in this bowl.
• Save the poaching liquid. Skim it, salt it, and it is a light broth for the winter melon soup or the egg drop soup.