Guifei Chicken (gui fei ji)

Why people make this dish

Bro Niu remembers when chicken was a treat saved for the big festivals. These days it is everyday food, and a good chilled chicken, handled well, can taste nearly as fresh as a live-killed bird. This “Guifei chicken” simmers a fragrant spiced brine, chills it, then plunges the freshly steamed chicken straight in — the cold shock gives the skin its signature crisp, silky snap. He cooked a batch on the July 1st holiday to share.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Anyone who enjoys a cool, savory chicken dish, especially in warm weather.
• Contains cooking wine; serve with that in mind for children or anyone avoiding alcohol.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Cinnamon bark (gui pi): warming and aromatic in tradition; used here mainly for fragrance.
• Ginger and scallion (sheng jiang, cong bai): traditionally warming and dispelling, and they round out any gaminess.
• Bay leaf (xiang ye): lifts the aroma of the brine.

Ingredients (1 chicken / 3–4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Tender chilled chicken	1 whole	about 2 catties (1.2 kg) works well
Ginger	3 slices
Scallion whites	3 stalks
Cinnamon bark	1 piece
Bay leaf	3 leaves
Light soy sauce	3 tbsp	for the brine
Shaoxing wine	2 tbsp
Chicken bouillon powder	2 tbsp
White pepper	a pinch
Salt	2 tbsp	for rubbing the bird

Method

1. Make the brine: bring 1 litre water to a boil with 3 tbsp light soy, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 piece cinnamon bark, 3 bay leaves, 3 ginger slices, 3 scallion whites, 2 tbsp chicken powder and a little white pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes, turn off the heat, cool completely, then chill in the fridge.
2. Rinse the chicken, rub with 2 tbsp salt to season, and steam over water about 15 minutes (for a ~1.2 kg tender bird).
3. Immediately submerge the hot steamed chicken in the chilled brine and soak 5–6 hours. Chop and plate to serve.

Bro Niu’s tips

Plunging the hot chicken straight into the icy brine is the secret to that crisp, silky skin. For a shortcut, you can buy ready-made “Guifei chicken” sauce at the supermarket. Choose a chilled chicken with smooth, glossy skin and natural (not unnaturally snow-white) color, with little fat, from a reputable shop.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (sylvan): Is 15 minutes really enough to steam the chicken? Bro Niu: For a tender bird of about 2 catties, 15 minutes from boiling is right. A bird over 2.5 catties needs about 18 minutes. I usually steam 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit 3–4 minutes — a 2-catty bird comes out just cooked and tender. Overcook it and the meat turns tough.
• Q (jenny): Can I keep the leftover sauce for next time? And what kind of leaf is the “bay leaf”? Bro Niu: Yes — refrigerate the leftover poaching sauce and reuse it next time, even to season other dishes like tofu. The bay leaf here is bay (yue ji) leaf; lemon leaf also works.
• Q (reader): How do I pick a good chilled chicken? Bro Niu: Look for smooth, glossy skin and a bright but believable color — not unnaturally snow-white — with little fat. Buy from a large supermarket or reputable chilled-meat shop; suspiciously cheap chilled chicken can be of unknown origin.

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Published July 1, 2011 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.