Steamed Chicken with Sand Ginger Powder (沙薑雞)

This steamed chicken with Sand Ginger powder dish is very simple and delicious.  It's a traditional Chinese dish, best served with steamed rice and ginger and scallion dipping.

Simple is the best. You can’t imagine how nice the taste of this steamed chicken was. The chicken meat is so tender and silky smooth, steamed to just cooked. If you like the traditional, popular Chinese steamed chicken (白切雞), you have to try this dish as well, if you haven’t.

Try to use organic or free-range chicken if you can to ensure the best result. Having said that, I used corn-fed chicken this time. So, that’s why my steamed chicken was in bright, lovely yellow colour. The end result remained wonderfully good.

Simply rub the chicken with a handful of sand ginger powder, you’ll see that would do a magical makeover of your chicken, giving you a pungent aroma. Don’t mix up sand ginger powder (沙薑粉) with ginger powder (黃薑粉).

Sand ginger powder looks slightly pale, whereas ginger powder looks more yellowish.

Although both of them are in the same ginger family, their smells and tastes are quite different. Many Asian grocers stock sand ginger powder. If you can't find any there, try some Chinese herbal shops.

Steamed Chicken with Sand Ginger Powder Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Steamed, Chicken
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Yield: 3 to 4 serves

Ingredients:

• ½ chicken, about 720 gm
• 3 to 4 slices ginger
• 2 stalks scallion

Seasonings:

• 2 tsp sand ginger powder, available at Asian grocers
• ½ Tbsp Shaoxing wine, optional
• pepper, to taste
• salt, to taste

Scallion and ginger dipping:

• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp diced scallion
• 2 Tbsp heated vegetable oil
• salt, to taste
• light soy sauce, to taste, optional

Method:

1. Rinse chicken and wipe dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper and wine on skin and inside. Leave it for a while, then rub sand ginger powder evenly on chicken on all sides.
2. Place grated ginger and diced scallion in a small bowl. Season with salt. Use a small saucepan to heat oil over medium heat. When you see a bit of smoke arising, carefully pour over the ginger and scallion. Set aside and let cool.
3. Use a large dish, place ginger slices and scallion, topped with chicken. Steam over high heat for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Test with a chopstick or needle and insert into the thickest part of chicken thigh. If clear liquid runs out, it’s cooked. Remove from heat, let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into smaller pieces. Serve warm with the ginger and scallion dipping.

Notes：

• Sand ginger powder is available at Asian grocers. Don’t mix it up with ginger powder.