Qi Guo Ji

Qi Guo Ji is Yunnan's celebrated steam-pot chicken — a dish of remarkable subtlety made using a unique clay vessel called a qi guo, which has a hollow central chimney rising from the base. The pot is placed over a wok of boiling water; steam rises through the chimney, condenses inside the sealed lid, and drips back down as the purest possible distillation of chicken essence. No added liquid is used. What collects is an extraordinarily clean, intensely flavored broth unlike anything made any other way.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole free-range chicken, approx 1.5kg (3.3 lb), cut through the bone into 5cm (2 in) pieces
• 10g (⅓ oz) dried Yunnan ham (Xuanwei ham) or Jinhua ham, thinly sliced (optional but traditional)
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 3 spring onions, cut into 5cm (2 in) lengths
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• Salt to taste, added only after cooking
• Fresh chrysanthemum greens or watercress, to serve (optional)

If a qi guo steam pot is unavailable:

• Use a heatproof bowl covered tightly with foil, set in a bamboo steamer over a wok of vigorously boiling water

Instructions

1. Blanch chicken pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes to remove impurities. Rinse under cold water.
2. Arrange chicken pieces in the qi guo steam pot. Tuck in ginger, spring onions, peppercorns, and ham if using. Add Shaoxing wine.
3. Cover the pot tightly. Set it over a wok of vigorously boiling water — the chimney base should be above the water line so steam enters through it, not boiling water.
4. Steam over high heat for 2 hours, replenishing the wok water as needed.
5. Carefully open the lid — a clear, golden broth will have accumulated around the chicken.
6. Season with salt only at the table. Serve directly from the steam pot with fresh greens laid in at the last moment.

Cook's Notes: Do not be tempted to add water to the pot — the broth is entirely from the chicken's own juices condensed by steam. A free-range or heritage breed chicken gives dramatically better results. The broth can be replenished for a second steaming with rice wine and water.