Poached chicken

Poached chicken Cantonese/Hong Kong style is one of the dishes that is always present on the table during family gatherings. In China, it is usually served as a whole chicken. 
The poached chicken is cooked perfectly, making it extremely tender. Its taste is light and delicious, simply chicken. It is extremely important to use good quality chicken for this dish. It is served with ginger paste.
During Chinese New Year, this poached chicken is traditionally served as a whole, complete with head and feet, as it symbolizes family togetherness, completeness, and unity. Most Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day meals feature chicken. "There is no festival without chicken" - chicken dishes definitely make an appearance on the tables during New Year's customs in Guangdong and Hong Kong.

There are several reasons why poached chicken at a Chinese restaurant is so tender:
Poaching: Poaching is a gentle cooking method for chicken. The chicken is slowly cooked in water at a low temperature. This keeps the meat tender, juicy, and retains its natural flavor.

Quality of chicken meat: Only fresh, high-quality chicken meat is used for poached chicken. The meat of young chickens is especially tender and juicy.

Preparation: The chicken is often thoroughly cleaned and free of internal organs and fat before poaching. This makes the meat cleaner and the flavor more intense.

Cooling: After poaching, the chicken is usually cooled in ice water to stop the cooking process and make the meat more tender.

冷卻：水煮之後，通常會在冰水中冷卻雞肉，以停止烹飪過程，讓肉質更嫩滑。

It takes a lot of experience to cook chicken meat to perfection. When poaching, the chicken should be cooked slowly at a low temperature until the meat is cooked but the bones are still red. The cooking time depends on the size of the chicken. It's also important to massage the chicken before poaching to distribute the fat between the meat and skin and ensure even cooking. Cooling the chicken in ice water after poaching is also important to stop cooking and keep the meat tender and juicy. If the chicken is not properly cooled, it can continue to cook and the meat will become tough.

Pocheted chicken is best eaten lukewarm or slightly chilled. It tastes delicious in both cases. In the summer, a lightly chilled pocheted chicken can be refreshing, while in the winter, it can be served as a lukewarm dish. It's important not to eat the pocheted chicken while it's still hot, as the cooking process can continue and the meat may become tough.