Gà Luộc Chặt (Boiled Chicken)

Gà Luộc Chặt is basically just boiled chicken, served with fried shallot infused soy sauce. Perfect with a bowl warm rice on a rainy day. This dish is usually served during new years because boiled chicken is commonly used as an offering to the gods and ancestors. However, having this dish turn out the right way is not easy. The chicken’s skin should be golden yellow and the flesh must be cooked just right; sill a little pinkish towards the bond. Yeah I know… salmonella… bird flu…. Then again the flesh should be SLIGHTLY pinkish so be reassured, by this stage anything harmful is probably pretty much all dead anyways. If you’d rather be safe than sorry than go ahead and cook the chicken “well done”, after all it is you chicken right? As for me, I’ll take my chances……bird flu is not that big in the US anyways. What about salmonella? I’m too young to worry about it, ask me again in another 40 years or so and hopefully by then I’ll change my mind ;).

Ingredients:
-1 chicken about 4-5 lbs
-enough water to cover the chicken
-1 tsp salt

What to Do:
Clean and dry chicken. Add chicken into a pot with salt and water. Bring the water to a boil. Start timing when the water boils, simmer for 6-8 mins per pound of chicken. “Turn” the chicken half way through. When done, using a bamboo skewer, pierce the chicken where the bottom breast meets the tights to allow the fat to float to the surface. Allow all of the fat to flat to the surface before slowing removing the chicken (so that the fat will add a nice shiny golden touch to the chicken). Cool and chop into bit size pieces.

Dipping Sauce:
-2 chilies (optional)
-3 tbs fried shallots
-4 tbs soy sauce

*Chop chilies and shallots, add soy sauce and mix well.