Steamed Chicken Soy-Ginger Sauce

My family loves to have chicken dishes so I have to constantly find recipes that are new and tasty.  One of things I look when preparing a chicken dish is that it also needs to be unfussy, imagine going home from work and I still have to slave for a long hours in the kitchen on weekdays for dinner.  This is one recipe that I found meets both criterias, easy and tasty.  The sauce is really gingery, which I like, but if you feel like it's a bit too much, feel free to lessen the quantity of the ginger.  The chicken is succulent because it is steamed and I love dark meat parts compare to white meat parts, that will be my husband's portion :)

Steamed Chicken with Soy-Ginger Sauce

Serves 4



One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut in half

1 tablespoon soy sauce



For the sauce:

1/4 cup grated ginger

3 green onions, trimmed and minced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 iceberg lettuce cups



Arrange the chicken halves skin side up and side by side in a glass pie plate.  Rub the skin with the soy sauce.  Let stand for 15 minutes.

Prepare a steamer and heat over high heat.  Place the pie plate in the steaming basket, cover, and steam over high heat until the chicken is no longer pink near the bone, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce:  stir the grated ginger, green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ground ginger, salt, and pepper in a small heatproof bowl.  Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet just until it begins to smoke.  Carefully pour the hot oil into the ginger-soy mixture (the mixture may sizzle).  Stir well and let stand until cool.

Remove the plate of chicken from the steamer and let cool slightly.

Strip the meat from the bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.  Place on a serving platter with the lettuce cups alongside.



Source:  adapted from Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking