This recipe was submitted by Rachel Wong, a second-year student at UC Davis studying managerial economics with an emphasis in business economics and a minor in English. She is the great-granddaughter of Wong Shoo Tan, one of the founders of Ying Chun Lung market on San Pedro Street in Los Angeles.
Bak Chit Gai (Gently Poached White Cut Chicken) garnished with flavorful ginger scallion infused sauce, is a favorite Chinese Cantonese dish that has been traditionally enjoyed by my family during special occasions like Chinese New Year festive family banquet dinner gatherings. This entree has been relished by many generations and with the sharing of this recipe future generations too can enjoy this culturally significant dish.
My father, Rick Wong, was taught, by his mother (AKA my grandmother, Helen Wong), to make this special dish the traditional way, using a large simmering pot to poach a freshly dressed chicken with aromatics that would be subtly infused into the poaching liquid. Leveraging the fundamentals of the basic approach and ingredients, the cooking technique has been augmented by my father. He replaced the traditional simmering pot method with the new-age Instant Pot (see appliance description below) pressure cooker adaptation.
The pressure cooker facilitates the cooking speed, ensures a consistent end product, and allows the home chef the ability to tailor the chicken texture to taste preference (fall off the bone tender chicken if desired). With the new pressure-cooking technique, the Bak Chit Gai taste and visual outcomes are similar to the traditional dish and equally enjoyable to the palate.
The Bak Chit Gai is also a flexible addition to a wide range of culinary dishes and can be enjoyed over rice, on a bed of noodles, in a sandwich, or, on a salad.
Ingredients
- 2.5-3.5 pound whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons ginger, roughly sliced
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 4 whole cloves of garlic peeled
- 5 stalks scallions whole
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 quantity – 1 qt. containers (total 8 cups) of pre-made supermarket chicken stock
Ginger Scallion Sauce:
- 2 stalk scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 3 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Instant Pot: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart (@ Amazon.com for ~ $89.00)
Cooking Instructions
Pressure Cook the Chicken Whole: Add 1/2 tbsp salt, 5 stalks of scallions, 3 tbsp roughly sliced ginger, 1 peeled and quartered yellow onion, and 4 whole cloves of peeled garlic, into the Instant Pot. Add the whole chicken and then pour in the pre-made supermarket chicken stock into the Instant Pot until the liquid is just covering the chicken. Note: As a general rule the Instant Pot should never be more than 2/3 full.
Close lid and pressure cook, using the meat setting, at High Pressure for 15-35 minutes. Then turn off and unplug the Instant Pot appliance and allow for a natural pressure release (approximately 18 – 22 minutes for the pressure cooker to cool and dissipate the pressure over time until the float valve drops). *Pro tip: the duration of the cooking time will determine the chicken texture (e.g. 15 minutes will produce a firm chicken and 35 minutes will result in a “fall off the bone” chicken texture).
Open the lid carefully after the pressure from the Instant Pot has been automatically released. With tongs and/or a spatula, carefully remove the chicken from the Instant Pot. Drain the hot chicken stock liquid from the chicken. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the Ginger Scallion Sauce: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat/high. Place the freshly grated ginger and chopped scallion into a small bowl. Pour in 3 tbsp hot oil (be careful when pouring the hot oil to prevent hot oil splatter) into the bowl and mix well. Generously season with salt (roughly 1 teaspoon).
Serve: Pat chicken completely dry, slice and garnish with the ginger scallion sauce.
Enjoy the Bak Chit Gai with family and friends and share this family recipe for others to enjoy!
