Haam-Kai (“Salty Chicken”)

Haam-Kai or “Salty Chicken”, as my mama calls it, is poached; very simple and easy to make. Just 3 ingredients, if water can be considered as 1 ingredient besides chicken and salt. The turnout’s a juicy pure, salty chicken. My mama makes a whole chicken for prayers, especially during Chinese New Year and just larges pieces of chicken legs with bones and skin on at any other time of the year. I share the recipe here.. 🙂

1. Remove giblets, etc from chicken cavity and rinse it.
2. Prepare a large pot where a whole chicken can fit in comfortably. Put in chicken and add in enough water to cover chicken or at least ¾ of chicken. Remove chicken.
3. Heat water and let it come to the boil. Put in chicken, breast-side down and let it come back to the boil and let it cook/poach for 30 mins.
4. Turn chicken carefully with a pair of chopsticks, hooked under wings.
5. Let it cook/poach another 15 mins.
6. Once chicken is cooked (test by poking a sharp stick or chopstick into the thickest part of chicken – the thigh), carefully lift chicken up and let water drain away from chicken cavity and put on a large plate.
7. Smear or rub salt all over chicken generously, especially between wings and drumsticks.
8. Allow it to cool slightly and chop with a sharp knife or cut with kitchen scissors into pieces.
9. Serve warm or cool with some salad leaves or sliced cucumber and tomatoes and warm rice.

It was my 1st time trying to make Haam-Kai and I didn’t manage to keep the skin of the chicken totally intact – tore some at the drumsticks but I was assured by my mama that I’d get better at turning the chicken with practice.. 😛

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