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Yunnan steam-pot chicken
汽锅鸡 (qìguō jī) — Jianshui chicken steamed in a clay steam pot until it makes its own clear broth
In the old town of Jianshui in southern Yunnan, potters still make the purple clay qiguo, a lidded pot with a chimney rising through its centre. Set over boiling water, it lets steam rise into the pot, where it meets the chicken, condenses and drips back as a pure, golden broth, with no water added at all. After three hours the meat falls from the bone and the soup tastes intensely of chicken and ginger, clean and restorative; in Kunming it is the dish for guests, for convalescents and for winter weekends. Serve the broth in small bowls first, then the chicken with rice and a chilli dip. Chef's tip: if you don't own a steam pot, a heatproof bowl covered with a plate in a steamer works well; it just needs a small splash of water to start the broth.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅛ lb free-range chickenjointed and chopped through the bone into 5 cm pieces
- 1 oz fresh gingersliced
- 2 spring onionscut into 5 cm lengths
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)soaked for 20 minutes
- 4 dried red jujubes (Chinese dates) (optional)
- 1 tbsp goji berries (optional)
- 1 cup water (only for the bowl method) (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add 3 ⅛ lb free-range chicken and blanch for 2 minutes, until the surface turns white and grey foam rises. Drain and rinse each piece under warm water. This keeps the broth crystal clear. Wash the board and knife used for the raw chicken.
6 minStep 2: Arrange the chicken in the steam pot around the central chimney, tucking in 1 oz fresh ginger, 2 spring onions and the 4 dried shiitake mushrooms and 4 dried red jujubes (Chinese dates) if using. Don't add any water: in a steam pot the broth comes entirely from condensed steam. Cover with the lid.
Step 3: No steam pot? Use a deep heatproof bowl instead, add the chicken and aromatics as above with 1 cup water (only for the bowl method), and cover tightly with a plate or foil.
Step 4: Choose a saucepan the steam pot sits on snugly (or a steamer big enough for the bowl). Fill it two-thirds with water and bring to the boil, then set the pot on top. If there are gaps, wrap a damp tea towel around the join so steam goes through the chimney, not out the sides.
10 minStep 5: Steam over a medium heat for 2½ hours. Check the water below every 30 minutes and top it up with boiling water from a kettle; a common mistake is letting it boil dry, which can crack a clay pot.
150 minStep 6: Lift the lid carefully, away from your face. The chicken should be very tender, pulling easily from the bone with clear juices (well past 165°F / 165 °F), and there should be a good amount of golden broth. Stir in 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp goji berries if using and steam for 5 more minutes.
5 minStep 7: Bring the pot to the table. Ladle the broth into small bowls to drink first, then eat the chicken with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does yunnan steam-pot chicken take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 165 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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