Pudong Sanhuang Chicken

Pudong Sanhuang Chicken

　　A famous Shanghai dish, named after its creation by Shanghai’s Xiao Shaoxing Chicken Congee Shop; it uses the renowned local “Sanhuang Chicken” (i.e., free-range local chicken), cooked in plain water without any seasonings.

　　 　　Main ingredient: 2000g live young hen

　　 　　Secondary ingredients: 2g sugar, 2g MSG, 35g light soy sauce, 1g salt, 1 scallion bulb, 5g minced ginger, 10g sesame oil

　　 　　Preparation:

　　 　　1) Rinse the chicken, soak it in cold water for 1 hour. Bring water to a boil in a pot, briefly blanch the chicken in the boiling water to ensure even scalding, then remove it.

　　 　　2) Add a little cold water to the same pot, place the blanched chicken back in, cover, and bring to a boil. Then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, flip the chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove the chicken, immerse it in ice-cold water to cool, then drain and pat dry. Finally, apply a layer of sesame oil on the skin.

　　 Another method: Bring water to a boil, briefly blanch the chicken in the boiling water (add ginger, scallions, and cooking wine to the water, no salt needed) for about 30 seconds, then transfer to cold water. Repeat this process three times. Then return the chicken to the same water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. After removing, soak in ice water. This method yields a very crispy skin, and the dipping sauce can be prepared using seasoned soy sauce.

　　 Other preparation methods:

　　 1. Choose a chicken weighing no more than 2.5 jin (approximately 1.25 kg).

　　 2. Boil a pot of water, add cooking wine and a small amount of aromatics (scallions, ginger), and bring to a boil.

　　 3. Place the chicken in the boiling water (note: cook for 10 minutes in summer, 12 minutes in spring/fall, and 15 minutes in winter). Add a little beer five minutes after the chicken is placed in the boiling water.

　　 4. Remove the chicken immediately and place it in ice water. Then rinse with cold water until the chicken is completely cooled inside and out, and the skin is crisp. This is the “Sanhuang Chicken.”

　　 Exclusive preparation method for Sanhuang Chicken

　　 Ingredients:

　　 　　1 Sanhuang Chicken, 50g garlic, 1 section of large scallion, 5 small shallots, 2 red chilies, 5g old ginger, 100ml light soy sauce, 100ml sesame oil, 50ml rice wine, 50ml Shaoxing wine, 50g rock sugar, 20g basil leaves, 200ml clear chicken broth, 2g white pepper

　　 　　Method:

　　 　　1. Peel and trim the roots of the small shallots, cut the large scallion into 1cm-long sections, wash and slice the old ginger, and cut the red chilies into diagonal pieces.

　　 　　2. Rinse the Sanhuang Chicken clean, chop it into 1cm-wide, 3cm-long pieces with bones.

　　 　　3. Heat the sesame oil in a wok over medium heat until it reaches about 40% heat, then add the whole garlic cloves, ginger slices, scallion sections, whole small shallots, and chili pieces to sauté until fragrant.

　　 　　4. Add the chicken pieces to the wok, stir-fry evenly until the surface is slightly colored, then add light soy sauce, white pepper, and rock sugar, and stir-fry briefly.

　　 　　5. Pour in the rice wine, Shaoxing wine, and clear chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Stir once during cooking to ensure the chicken pieces absorb the flavors evenly.

　　 　　6. Finally, add the basil leaves and stir-fry briefly before serving.

　　 Winter bamboo shoots are now in season. Buy a bunch of fresh ones, cook them with Sanhuang Chicken, and not only will the color look great, but the taste will also be excellent. You get the umami of the chicken and the tenderness of the bamboo shoots. The resulting broth is also great for soaking rice to boost your appetite.

　　 Ingredients: fresh winter bamboo shoots, Sanhuang Chicken, salt, MSG, chicken essence, ginger slices, scallion sections, cornstarch, refined oil, chicken broth, chicken fat.

　　 1. Wash and slice the winter bamboo shoots, blanch until cooked, then rinse to cool. Slice the Sanhuang Chicken.

　　 2. Heat a little refined oil in a pan, sauté ginger and scallions briefly, then add chicken broth, chicken slices, and bamboo shoot slices. Season with salt, chicken essence, and pea sprouts. Once cooked, thicken the sauce slightly with cornstarch.

　　 Tip: Winter bamboo shoots must be fully blanched until cooked, otherwise the texture will be affected.

　　 Nutrition: Winter bamboo shoots are sweet in flavor and cold in nature, with detoxifying properties. Thanks to their high protein, low fat, high fiber, and low starch content, they aid digestion and help with fat reduction and weight loss.