Poached Chicken with Lime Leaves
From French Poule au pot to Chinese Hainan chicken to this classic Vietnamese preparation, poached chicken offers clear, pure flavors. In my family, we enjoy the hot poaching broth as the soup course (canh) and slice up the cool chicken for the main dish. The chicken is strewn with fine strips of fresh, tender young lime or lemon leaves, to provide an unusual bright, citrusy contrast. Thai lime leaves, known also as makrut or kaffir leaves, are particularly wonderful if you can find them. At the table, we ladle the broth into our bowls and add a squirt of lime juice and a spoonful of rice. In between eating bowls of broth, we eat the chicken and citrus leaves with more rice, dunking them first in a sauce of lime juice, salt, and pepper. Add a simple stir-fried vegetable and you have a satisfying meal. Purchase the best-quality chicken available for this recipe. Immersing it in an ice bath once it is cooked produces tight skin that Asian diners appreciate: a bit chewy and somewhat crunchy but not greasy. Also, as the chicken cools, a delicious layer of gelatinous juices forms between the skin and meat. Since cooling takes a while, you need to poach the chicken about four hours in advance of serving, or even the day before. Traditionally, the chicken is cut through the bone into small pieces for serving, but I prefer to slice the meat, except for the wings, off the bone.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the wing tips and freeze, along with the neck (if it is included), for making stock, or discard them.
Step 2
Select a pot that accommodates the chicken snugly with about 1 inch clearance between the top of the breast and the rim of the pot. Fill it half full with water and add the ginger, onion, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and add the chicken.
Step 3
When the pot returns to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Bubbles should dance softly on the surface. Base the cooking time on the chicken’s weight, poaching for 10 minutes per pound (a 3 1/2-pound bird takes 35 minutes). Use tongs to rotate the chicken halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Step 4
Near the end of the cooking time, select a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, fill it three-fourths full with ice water, and set it near the stove. When the chicken is done, use tongs to remove it from the pot and then plunge it into the ice water. Reserve the broth in the pot. Turn the chicken several times to expose it evenly to the ice water, then remove it from the bowl, draining the cavity well, and place it on a plate. Let it cool completely before slicing. The chicken may be prepared a day in advance; once it has cooled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before slicing.
Step 5
Add the fish sauce to the broth, bring to a boil over high heat, and boil until reduced by one-fourth, or until the flavor is concentrated enough for your taste. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside while the chicken cools.
Step 6
To serve, have ready 1 large serving plate or 2 smaller ones. Use a sharp knife to detach each wing at the shoulder joint. Separate the 2 sections of each wing, then chop them into smaller pieces with a heavy cleaver (or leave them whole). Arrange on the serving plate(s). Remove the breasts and the leg and thigh quarters from the chicken. Discard the back or save it for making stock. Cut the meat with skin attached off the bone and slice it into bite-sized pieces. Add the pieces, skin side up, to the serving plate(s), arranging them in an attractive pattern. (Diners may remove the skin while eating.) Scatter the lime leaves over the top.
Step 7
If you like, skim the fat from the broth. Bring the broth almost to boil. Taste and add extra salt, if necessary. Strain the broth into a large soup bowl and sprinkle with pepper. Serve immediately with the chicken and dipping sauce.
Notes
Step 8
If citrus leaves are unavailable, garnish the chicken generously with chopped Vietnamese coriander (rau răm). Or, don’t top the chicken with anything and serve it with Ginger-Lime Dipping Sauce (page 309); include sliced Thai or serrano chiles on the side so diners can add some heat to the sauce.
Step 9
For a more substantial soup accompaniment, add small cubes of carrot or summer squash to the broth when reheating it for serving.
Sourcing High-quality Chicken
Step 10
When shopping for high-quality chickens, you are typically faced with a wide range of confusing claims, including free-range, organic, naturally raised, kosher, and hormone and antibiotic free. And even birds with the most promising labeling are sometimes disappointing when you eat them. Some producers breed chickens to meet consumer desires for large breasts and low fat, while others raise birds with a high ratio of meat to bone. Even processing methods may affect the flavor. In other words, it is difficult to know how good a chicken is until you taste it.
Step 11
The best way to sort out what birds are best where you live is to try all the types available and let your taste buds guide you. Perhaps you will prefer the chewy, flavorful meat of a slightly older chicken, or you will like a bird with a little more fat. Also, don’t settle for what is in the meats section of your supermarket. Mine health-food stores, gourmet markets, and ethnic grocers, too. Talk to butchers, farmers, and chefs. If locally raised eggs are sold in your area, ask the vendor to help you find good chickens.
