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White ceramic plate of sliced poached ginger scallion chicken glossy with bright green ginger-scallion oil sauce, chopped scallions and minced ginger on top, with a small bowl of extra green sauce, a bowl of steamed jasmine rice and wooden chopsticks on a dark wooden table

Ginger Scallion Chicken

Gently poached chicken thighs sliced and spooned with a hot ginger-scallion oil sauce made from fresh scallions, minced ginger, salt, white pepper, and toasted sesame oil.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 4 to 6 pieces, or boneless skinless thighs
  • 2 quarts (1.9 L) cold water enough to cover the chicken by about 1 inch
  • 4 slices fresh ginger each about the size of a quarter, for the poaching water
  • 2 scallions cut into 3-inch lengths and lightly smashed, for the poaching water
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the poaching water
  • 1 cup (100 g) thinly sliced scallions white and green parts, about 1 large bunch (8 to 10 scallions), for the sauce
  • 1/2 cup (70 g) peeled fresh ginger finely minced, about a 4 oz (115 g) piece, for the sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste, for the sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar for the sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper, for the sauce
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) neutral high-heat oil peanut, avocado, or grapeseed, for the sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for the sauce
  • Steamed jasmine rice for serving
  • 1 small cucumber thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

Method
 

  1. Season the poaching water: Put the chicken thighs in a large pot or Dutch oven in a single layer, skin side up. Add the cold water, ginger slices, smashed scallions, Shaoxing wine, and kosher salt. The water should cover the chicken by about 1 inch; add a little more if it does not.
  2. Poach, do not boil: Bring the pot to a bare simmer over medium-high heat — small bubbles around the edge, the surface just trembling. Immediately turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. The water should never reach a rolling boil.
  3. Rest in the hot liquid: Turn the heat off and leave the covered pot alone for 10 minutes. Check the thickest thigh with a thermometer (165°F / 74°C) or by cutting into the thickest spot — the juices should run clear.
  4. Make the sauce while the chicken rests: Put the sliced scallions, minced ginger, salt, sugar, and white pepper in a heatproof bowl. Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a scallion slice dropped in sizzles at once, about 350°F (175°C). Pour the hot oil straight over the scallion mixture, stir in the toasted sesame oil, and taste for salt.
  5. Lift, rest, and slice the chicken: Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest 5 minutes. Slice across the grain into 1/2-inch pieces and arrange them on a warm plate, slightly overlapping.
  6. Sauce and serve: Spoon about half the warm ginger-scallion sauce over the sliced chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl at the table. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and the cucumber slices if using.