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Have you had Asian chickens before? When it comes to whole chickens, my family and I have always chosen Asian chickens. Here in British Columbia, you can find different types of specialty Asian chickens that are raised locally. Our go-to has been the Loong Kong Chicken 龍崗雞. They are free-run chicken, and they’re more yellow in appearance than your typical chicken. They remind me of the chickens I grew up eating in Hong Kong. We find the meat firmer yet tender, more flavourful, and skin bouncier, and definitely more suitable for preparing Asian style dishes.

Did you know?

No hormones or steroids are fed to BC chickens and all BC chickens are allowed to roam in the barns and are considered “free run”.

When it comes to enjoying fresh Loong Kong Chicken, my family simply steams it. By steaming it, you will also extract some chicken broth full of the chicken essence. Mama Lam takes it to the next level by making a sauce with the chicken broth, pour it back onto the steamed chicken so it absorbs all the flavours. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients for the Steamed Chicken

• 1 whole Loong Kong Chicken 走地龍崗雞 (approximately 1kg)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
• 1 head of Green Onion, halved into segments
• 2 slices of Ginger

Ingredients for the Spicy Green Onion Broth

• Chicken Broth from the Steamed Chicken
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1-2 Thai Red Chili Peppers (approximately 3g)
• 35g Green Onion, julienned (3-4 heads)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Water

Tip: If you can’t take too much heat, feel free to reduce the amount of red chili peppers. Or if you like your spicy food, add some more. Thai red chili peppers are quite potent, however, so please do use them carefully.

Instructions for the Steamed Chicken

1. Clean the Loong Kong Chicken thoroughly. Remove chicken head, trim excess skin, fat and tissue around the neck, and remove feet. Check the cavity of the chicken from the tail end and clean the inside of the chicken, remove any guts and leftover organ tissues.

Tip: Thoroughly cleaning the cavity of the chicken prevents any blood bleeding into the chicken when steaming, ensuring a beautiful chicken broth for the sauce!

2. Rub salt and ground white pepper inside and outside of the chicken.

3. Place green onion segments and sliced ginger in the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

4. Steam the chicken for 30 minutes, until it’s cooked. Take the whole plate out, including the broth, and let cool.

Tip: To test if the chicken is cooked, stick a skewer into the breast meat. If there’s no traces of blood, then it’s cooked.

5. Once the chicken has cooled, pour the chicken broth out.

6. Cut the chicken in pieces (we use poultry scissors).

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Tip: If you don’t want the spicy green onion broth, you can stop right here and enjoy the steamed chicken as is. Save the chicken broth for another recipe – make a hearty soup, noodles, etc.!

Instructions for the Spicy Green Onion Broth

1. Heat up the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat.

2. Add the Thai red chili peppers and half of the green onions and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

4. Mix cornstarch with some water. Add to the pan to thicken the sauce.

5. Add the other half of the green onions and cook for a few more seconds.

6. Pour the sauce over the steamed chicken.

Final Thoughts

There are many other ways to enjoy BC-raised Asian chickens. Mr. loves soy chicken 豉油雞, but honestly this Steamed Chicken with Spicy Green Onion Broth 葱油淋雞 is my favourite. I can taste the natural flavour of the chicken, while it’s enhanced by a bit of heat from the Thai chili peppers and the mild earthy taste of the green onions.

All BC chicken farmers participate in Chicken Farmers of Canada’s Animal Care program, a standard with a strong set of program requirements, annual audits, mandatory regulations, and enforcement measures. Canadian chicken barns are thoroughly cleaned between each flock. For more information on BC chickens, visit bcchicken.ca.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, the recipe and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.