Description
This Chinese poached chicken and rice recipe is a comforting, flavorful dish featuring tender poached chicken legs cooked with ginger, garlic, and black peppercorns. Served with fragrant long-grain rice, sautéed spring onion relish, and tender pak choi, this dish offers a harmonious blend of textures and savory flavors perfect for a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Poaching Liquid
- 8 chicken legs
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- rest of the ginger sliced (approximately 1 large piece)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, plus 2-3 tsp for relish (optional extra for serving)
- Salt, to season
- Enough water to cover chicken
Spring Onion Relish
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 bunches spring onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger (used in the relish)
- 2–3 tsp soy sauce (remaining from the 1 tbsp plus optional)
Vegetables and Serving
- 4 pak choi, halved
- Cooked long-grain rice, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare Poaching Ingredients: Place the sliced ginger, garlic cloves, black peppercorns, and half of the soy sauce into a large pan. Add the chicken legs and pour in enough water to cover everything. Season lightly with salt.
- Poach the Chicken: Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover the pan with a lid, and poach the chicken for 30 minutes until cooked through and tender.
- Make Spring Onion Relish: While the chicken is poaching, heat a pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Add the chopped spring onions and soften them gently for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the finely grated ginger along with the remaining soy sauce to create a flavorful spring onion relish.
- Prepare Pak Choi and Broth: After poaching, remove the chicken legs from the pan. Set aside 4 legs and chill them for use the next day. Add the halved pak choi to the poaching liquid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until just tender.
- Strain Broth and Prepare Chicken: Strain the poaching liquid to remove the ginger, garlic, and peppercorns, reserving the clear broth. Remove the skin from the remaining 4 chicken legs and discard it, then tear the meat into large, thick pieces.
- Assemble and Serve: In serving bowls, place a portion of cooked long-grain rice, add the pak choi, and top with torn chicken pieces. Ladle over some hot chicken broth and spoon on the spring onion relish. Offer extra soy sauce on the side if desired.
Notes
- For a lighter dish, remove the chicken skin before serving as it contains most of the fat.
- The reserved poached chicken legs can be shredded for salads or sandwiches the next day.
- You can substitute pak choi with baby bok choy or other Asian greens if unavailable.
- Adjust soy sauce quantities to taste, especially for sodium-sensitive diets.
- Using fresh ginger and garlic enhances the aromatic flavors deeply characteristic of this dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 34 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Poaching
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese poached chicken, poached chicken legs, ginger chicken recipe, spring onion relish, pak choi recipe, healthy Chinese food, chicken and rice
