Coconut Milk Chicken

Coconut Milk Chicken

　　　Coconut Milk Chicken was created by the renowned chef Tan Qijie (nicknamed "Fourth Uncle of Qiongnan") at the old Qiongnan Restaurant in Haikou City during the 1930s. When Soong Tzu-wen returned to Hainan for a family visit and tasted this dish, he was highly impressed. Over the decades, its preparation method has evolved through various interpretations by chefs, and there is no longer a single fixed recipe. However, the core flavors and ingredients remain consistent.

　　Wenchang chicken is simmered with premium broth, ginger slices, scallions, Shaoxing wine, and appropriate amounts of MSG and salt in a steamer for about 1.5 hours. After removing the whole chicken, the cooking broth is strained and mixed with fresh milk, fresh coconut milk, MSG, salt, and sugar. The mixture is then brought to a boil over high heat, stirred well, and thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Finally, the sauce is evenly poured over the chicken to complete the dish.

　　When Soong Tzu-wen returned to Hainan for a family visit and tasted this dish, he was highly impressed. Its preparation method has evolved through various interpretations by chefs over the decades, and there is no longer a single fixed recipe. However, the core flavors and ingredients remain consistent.

　　Characteristics of Coconut Milk Chicken:

　　The chicken is tender and smooth, with a rich coconut aroma, delicious taste, and high nutritional value. There's no need to chop it up—just use chopsticks to pull it apart into pieces before eating.

　　Ingredients for Coconut Milk Chicken:

　　Wenchang chicken (preferably a hen that is close to laying eggs but hasn’t yet) – 1 (about 1.5 kg), premium broth 350 g, fresh milk 100 g, fresh coconut milk 100 g, MSG 4 g, salt 5 g, sugar 5 g, cornstarch 15 g, Shaoxing wine 15 g, ginger 5 g, scallions 4 stalks.

　　Preparation method for Coconut Milk Chicken:

　　1. Bleed the chicken, pluck the feathers, clean it, and briefly blanch it in boiling water. Place it in a bowl, add premium broth, ginger slices, scallions, Shaoxing wine, and appropriate amounts of MSG and salt. Cover and steam for about 1.5 hours until cooked, then remove.

　　2. Place the whole chicken in the center of a serving plate. Strain the cooking broth and pour it into a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add fresh milk, fresh coconut milk, MSG, salt, and sugar. Stir well, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, add a bit of cooking oil, and pour the sauce evenly over the chicken to finish.