The Secret to Moist Chicken Breasts

By Linda Lau Anusasananan
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

My Hakka Chinese grandmother, whom I called Popo, was adamant that chicken should not be overcooked. She insisted that the flesh have a smooth, slippery texture.

I adapted her cooking technique for whole chicken, likely borrowed from the Cantonese, to chicken breasts. Breasts are convenient and easy to cook, but tend to dry out when overcooked. Steeping ensures a moist texture, every time.

This Chinese method is super easy and practically foolproof. Just boil water, add chicken pieces, return to boil, cover pan and turn off the heat. The chicken cooks in the residual heat, gently steeping to a silky smoothness that Popo would have approved of. It's a forgiving technique – since there is no constant direct heat, the chicken remains moist even if it steeps slightly too long.

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Chinese Scallion Pancakes –One of My Favorite Things

By Andrew Hunter

Chinese scallion pancakes are one of my favorite things on earth to eat. If given an ultimatum, I would give up potatoes, rice and yes, even traditional bread in favor of my beloved pancakes. I love them so much that last night I made them for dinner and woke up early to eat the leftovers before Benny got up. Imagine, stealing food from my own child… yes, they’re that good.

They’re like Chinese quesadillas, but instead of cheese and beans, they’re filled with ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and lots of green onions. If I’m really ambitious, I’ll stuff them with sticky slivers of hoisin-glazed short ribs and top that with a tall pile of cilantro, fried ginger threads and even more green onions. The boys eat them by the stack too, and don’t even realize they’re loaded with garlic.

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