Ginger-Scallion Poached Chicken with Steamed Bok Choy and Rice

Let's Cook

1. 1Step 1

   15 min

   Start the rice first so it's ready when everything else is: combine the rinsed rice with 1½ cups water and a pinch of salt in a small pot, bring to a boil, then cover and drop the heat to its lowest setting. It's done when the water is gone and the surface is pocked with small holes, about 15 minutes — leave the lid on and let it sit off the heat until you need it.

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   Letting the pot boil. Big rolling bubbles bang the chicken around and squeeze it dry. You want lazy bubbles drifting up the sides and steam off the surface, nothing more.

2. 2Step 2

   2 min

   In a wide pot or deep skillet, combine the broth, ginger coins, scallion whites, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring it up until you see steam rising and small bubbles breaking around the edges, then taste it — it should taste like a mild, gingery soup you'd happily drink.

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   Slice the ginger into coins rather than grating it. Grated ginger clouds the broth and turns sharp; coins give a clean, warm flavor and you can pluck them out in one go.

3. 3Step 3

   15 min

   Slide the chicken breasts into the broth in a single layer; add a splash of water if they're not fully covered. Adjust the heat down until the surface is barely moving — an occasional bubble, no churn — and cook uncovered until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C), 15 to 18 minutes depending on thickness.

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   Watch the surface, not the clock.

4. 4Step 4

   4 min

   Lift the chicken onto a cutting board and let it sit for about 5 minutes while you finish the vegetables; cut it straight out of the pot and the juice ends up on the board. Lay the bok choy halves cut-side down in the simmering broth, cover, and cook until the white stems give easily when poked with a knife tip and the leaves are bright green and collapsed, 3 to 4 minutes.

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   Broth at a bare simmer tops out well below a boil, so the chicken heats gently and its muscle fibers never clench hard enough to wring out moisture — the same reason boiled chicken goes stringy and poached chicken doesn't.

5. 5Step 5

   3 min

   Fish out the bok choy, then the ginger, scallion whites, and garlic. Stir the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil into the broth, then taste and add salt if it's flat.

6. 6Step 6

   3 min

   Slice the chicken across the grain into finger-thick pieces. Spoon rice into bowls, lay the chicken and bok choy on top, ladle over a generous amount of hot broth, and scatter with the sliced scallion greens.

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   Find the fine lines running the length of the breast and cut straight across them. Cut the other way and even perfectly poached chicken chews long and ropy.