Steamed Chicken With Soy-Ginger Sauce

Photo: Eliza Adam

Ingredients

One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut half

1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the sauce:

1/4 cup grated ginger

3 green onions, trimmed and minced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 cups iceberg lettuce

Preparation

Arrange the chicken halves skin side up and side by side in a glass pie plate. Rub the skin with the soy sauce. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Prepare a steamer and heat over high heat. Place the pie plate in the steaming basket, cover, and steam over high heat until the chicken is no longer pink near the bone, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: stir the grated ginger, green onions, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ground ginger, salt, and pepper in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet just until it begins to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil into the ginger-soy mixture (the mixture may sizzle). Stir well and let stand until cool.

Remove the plate of chicken from the steamer and let cool slightly.

Strip the meat from the bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Place on a serving platter with the lettuce cups alongside.