Delish, even when it’s cold

When I told my godma that I wanted to learn how to make poached chicken, she bought the ingredients right away and showed me that very night. Cooking is that easy to her. No need for planning or practising. My godma, also my mother’s sister, is one of the most casual cook I’ve seen. She stirs and scoops with one hand on her waist and often leaves the stove to mingle with her guests. But somehow the food always turns out perfect.

To make poached chicken, she first filled a pot ¾ full with tap water and heat it up over the stove. She then put some garlic and ginger into a plastic bag and placed it on the table. “Just smash them with a cup. Don’t need special equipment,” she said casually, but I could sense her mockery of the people who purchase fancy equipments for every step of their cooking. She took a mug from the shelf and hammered the plastic bag until the garlic and ginger ripped opened. “That’s all!” she exclaimed.

She added the garlic, ginger and some salt into the boiling water. Holding the chicken’s neck, she gently lowered the fowl into the pot and then lifted it again. “Because the chicken’s stomach is cold. You have to do this a few times so that the water goes into the chicken to warm the inside,” she said. This was the most complicated step of this recipe.

My godma left the chicken to boil for one minute and turned off the fire. “Keep the chicken inside for 45 minutes. Let the hot water cook it slowly,” she said and then scooted off to play with my nephews.

Ingredients

1 Chicken
10 cloves of garlic
2 ginger
1 tbsp salt

To make the sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp light sauce
½ tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fried shallots and its oil
1 tbsp chicken stock

Mix everything and drizzle on the chicken