Hainan Chicken

Name: Hainan Chicken
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice wine, or Amontillado sherry; 2 tablespoons rice wine, or Amontillado sherry; 6 thin slices fresh ginger root; 7.5 cm (3 inch) piece cinnamon stick; 1 medium onion, stuck with 6 cloves; 6 fresh coriander stalks, and then use the leaves for garnish; 12 peppercorns, roughly crushed; 1 medium onion, stuck with 6 cloves; 1 teaspoon five-spice powder; 6 star-anise pods, plus extra for garnish; 2 kg (4 lb) free-range or organic chicken

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Modern Classics

By Frances Bissell

Published 2000

About

Ingredients

2 kg (4 lb) free-range or organic chicken
1 teaspoon five-spice powder

Main course

Method

Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out, remove any fat, and cut off the wing pinions. If it has been trussed, remove the string to allow it to cook through more evenly.

Place the chicken in a large saucepan, cover it with water, and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil over medium heat, skim off, and then poach very gently – that is, with the occasional bubble just b