Poached Chicken with Warm Asian Vinaigrette

This is the most simple and delicious chicken dish - perfect to serve when you don’t feel like cooking. The vinaigrette is straight out of your Asian pantry staples, cook the rice your favourite way, or better still, take a packet or two out of the freezer.

Ingredients

• 4 x 200g chicken breast fillets, at room temperature

Poaching Liquid

• 1/2 cold water, 1/2 chicken stock - enough to completely cover the chicken breasts
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 shallot, trimmed
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 coriander roots, well washed
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• If you don’t have all these ingredients on hand, you can just use plain water for poaching.

Warm Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 3cm piece ginger, cut into very thin matchsticks
• 1/2 cup shredded green shallots

To Serve

• steamed rice
• handful of shredded green shallots & coriander sprigs
• 1 long red chilli, seeded, very finely sliced

Method

The poaching liquid

1. Combine all the ingredients.
2. Place the room-temperature chicken breasts, in a single layer, in a saucepan, and make sure there is enough stock/water to completely cover them.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. (If you let the chicken breasts boil, they will be tough). Turn the breasts over.
4. Cover the saucepan with a lid, then remove it from the heat, and stand for 15 - 18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

The Vinaigrette

1. Place the vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Alternatively, place these ingredients in a microwave safe container and cook on Medium-High, for about 4 minutes, stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Stir in the ginger and the shredded shallots.
4. Set aside until serving time.

To Serve

1. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and slice thickly.
2. Warm the vinaigrette in a saucepan or in the microwave.
3. Spoon the rice onto plates and top with the chicken slices, drizzle with warm vinaigrette.
4. Top with extra shredded shallots, coriander leaves and chilli.
5. Re-use the poaching liquid when cooking this dish again or any other that calls for chicken stock. Cool the poaching liquid strain, and freeze.
6. When you cook rice for a meal, make sure you cook double what you need. Store the extra in 2-portion sized Zip-Lock bags, and freeze. That way there is always rice on hand. It only takes a couple of minutes in the microwave to defrost.

Notes

Cooking times can vary a little depending on the size of the breasts and the number you have in the pan. To check if the chicken is cooked, simply take one out with a slotted spoon and press the thickest part of the breast. It should be firm, but with a little “give” The poaching liquid when cooking this dish again or any other that calls for chicken stock. Cool the poaching liquid strain, and freeze. When you cook rice for a meal, make sure you cook double what you need. Store the extra in 2-portion sized Zip-Lock bags, and freeze. That way there is always rice on hand. It only takes a couple of minutes in the microwave to defrost.

---