Chinese
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 whole dressed pullet, 4-5 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 bunches large green onions (using only the heads)
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons boiled and cooled vegetable oil
COOKING METHOD
In a large heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, place enough hot water to cover chicken.
Bring to a boil and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Decrease to medium heat and add 1 whole dressed pullet.
Cover pot with lid and simmer chicken for 30-35 minutes. Drain chicken and cool with cold running water.
Cut bird in segments. First, separate wings and legs. With sharp cleaver, split chicken lengthwise down the spine into 4 quarters. Then with fast, decisive strokes, chop quarters into 1 inch-wide pieces. Carefully scoop up quartered sections, slide onto platter. Legs and wings can be cut in halves and scooped up in the same manner, then arranged in a natural whole chicken shape on the serving platter.
Cut into vertical slivers, first flattening with side of cleaver, 2 bunches large green onions.
Prepare and mix thoroughly, 2 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons boild and cooled vegetable oil.
Place salt and oil sauce on half of the compote dish and green onions in the other. Dip each piece of chicken in sauce and eat with green onions.
NOTES
With some experimentation, you will eventually hit the texture of perfection. But since the timing may vary, the chicken may be overcooked. Yet, you may succeed the very first try. And if not, the recipe is worth chancing again, because this dish represents an essence of purity and naturalness of flavor retained through the simple cooking method of just simmering.
To the Chinese gourmet, undercooking in this case is more desirable than overcooking, since they believe chicken should be wot or smooth, instead of cho or coarse. You may also wonder about the "why" of cooling with running water, as noted in the recipe. This process keeps the skin from becoming soggy, to retain its al dente quality, similar to what Italian epicures say about the precise bit texture of their pastas. This is another example of the small, but important, attention which the Chinese pay to the texture in foods. When accompanied with the oil and salt sauce with green onions, this is indeed a classical Chinese dish, royal in its very simplicity.