The pleasures of poaching a chicken are twofold. First, there’s the stock-enriched, fork-tender meat and then the steamy depths of its hot, bubbling broth. But that is to sell our efforts short. There is also the smell, homely and somehow levelling, that fills the kitchen as the bird edges timidly towards tenderness; the scent of bay, black peppercorns, sweet onions and fat carrots that whispers rather than shouts that something good is on the way. There is the fact that an hour’s work will become not one, but several meals. All this in addition to the fine, juicy meat with its promise of salads and sandwiches to come and the golden, fat-bejewelled broth for making soup, risotto and other quietly pleasing dishes.
A cold poached chicken in the fridge is pure treasure. Rip the meat from its bones and you have the heart and soul of a classic salad with mayonnaise, cos (rabbit ears) lettuce and ice-cold, green-shouldered tomatoes. Or possibly something more refreshing with iced noodles, chilled papaya and lush green coriander leaves. I had both this week, but instead of poaching the chicken with the usual aromatics I tucked in a couple of thumbs of ginger, sliced lengthways and a few stars of anise –the former for its citrussy heat. The latter for sweetness and its subtle note of aniseed.
A ginger and anise-scented stock is a sound base for a noodle soup –the sort of liquor you can bring to the boil then stuff with crisp stems of pak choi, a skein of flat, white noodles and the merest hint of toasted sesame oil. I use it as a base for miso soup, my panacea, just as I use the meat for a late-night sandwich, layering thick slices with cucumber, watercress and enough wasabi or yuzu kosho to make my nose tingle.
Poached chicken with ginger and anise
A light and useful chicken stock. The trick is to not let the liquid boil, but rather to putter gently.
chicken whole, 2kg (ish)
bay leaves 4
black peppercorns 10
ginger 50g
star anise 3 flowers
onions 2
shallots 2
carrots 4, medium
celery 2 ribs
Untie the chicken and put it in a deep, heavy-based saucepan. Put the bay leaves and peppercorns into the pan. Cut the ginger into 1cm thick slices and add to the pot, together with the star anise flowers.
Cut the onions in half, (there is no need to peel them), then add them to the chicken with the shallots, scrubbed carrots and the ribs of celery.
Pour over enough water to cover the chicken then bring briefly to the boil. Skim off any froth that comes to the surface, then lower the heat so the water bubbles gently. The liquid should not boil. Cook, with the occasional glance at its progress, for an hour and a half. If necessary, top up the liquid.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave for 20 minutes, then strain carefully. (I like to remove the chicken first. It is safer that way.) Strain the liquid and discard the vegetables and aromatics – they have done their work. Let the broth cool, then refrigerate. Let the chicken cool, then, while still at room temperature, remove the meat from the bones, keeping the pieces as large as possible.
Chicken with papaya, cucumber and noodles
If using a large cucumber, you may need to discard the seedy core as it can make the salad “wet”. Smaller cucumbers rarely need their cores removed.
Serves 4-6
For the dressing:
lime juice 50ml (2 limes)
fish sauce 3 tsp
caster sugar 2 tsp
olive oil 40ml
black sesame seeds 3 tsp
cucumber 300g
spring onions 2
chilli 1, large and mild
radishes 8
mint leaves 12
coriander leaves 20
chicken stock 500ml
noodles 100g, soba or udon
papaya 375g
First make the dressing. Halve the limes and squeeze their juice into a bowl. Add the fish sauce, then the sugar and oil and stir until dissolved. With a fork or a small whisk, mix the ingredients together, adding a grind or two of black pepper. Mix in the black sesame seeds.
Cut the chicken into thick slices (I like to tear the meat from the carcass in fat, juicy chunks). Add the chicken to the dressing and set aside for 20 minutes.
Peel the cucumbers (or not, as you wish) and cut them into 5cm lengths, then finely into large matchsticks. Finely slice the spring onions, discarding the tough, darker leaves, and toss them in a large mixing bowl with the cucumber.
Finely shred the chilli then add to the spring onions. Wash and trim the radishes, then halve or thinly slice them (I like the hot crunch of a halved radish, others may prefer more delicate slices.) Tear the larger mint leaves into small pieces, keeping the small ones whole, then add them to the bowl, together with the coriander leaves, and toss gently together.
Bring the stock to the boil. Put the noodles in a heat-proof bowl, pour the boiling stock over, then leave for 10 minutes or until they are tender. Drain and add to the dressing, tossing them lightly to coat.
Remove the skin from the papaya and scrape out and discard the black seeds and fibres from its core. Cut into thick slices and add to the cucumber and spring onions. Bring the noodles, dressing and cucumber and herbs together in a serving dish, tossing everything together gently then serve.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@NigelSlater
Greenfeast: Spring, Summer by Nigel Slater is out now (4th Estate, £22). To order a copy for £16.99, go to guardianbookshop.com
