This one is hardly a recipe in that ginger scallion sauce does all the heavy lifting. As much as I feel that recipes within recipes can be daunting (I’m talking to you, Thomas Keller), the actual ginger scallion sauce is so simple that you’ll barely feel like you are tacking on extra steps.
My first dance with the glory of ginger scallion chicken was at my favorite haunt for Chinese food in the DC Metro area, XO Taste. Prepared the traditional way with a whole poached chicken accompanied by small dishes of the spicy, complex ginger sauce, I was in love. Not with the chicken so much as the sauce, which I wanted to drink by the canteen full if possible. When I set out to make this recipe for myself, I tried to amp up the chicken a bit to include all of my favorite elements. Rather than poach and serve with loose, rubbery skin, I decided to sear the skin on bone-in chicken breasts and then finish them off in the oven. The result is crisp, crackly skin protecting moist, white meat chicken, all of which is adorned with ginger scallion saucy glory. Victory is mine, and can be yours as well with a few easy steps.
Ginger Scallion Chicken
4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
salt and pepper
canola oil
ginger scallion sauce
Preheat the oven to 400°. Season the breasts liberally with salt and pepper and then rub with a bit of canola oil. Heat a skillet on high and place the chicken breast in the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for another 5.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Bake until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 20-25 minutes.
Let chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting. Using a butcher knife, cut chicken directly through the bone into 1/2 inch wide slices. Serve with ginger scallion sauce for dipping.
This sauce is very good. I fixed it with chicken. Put it on some fish for our pescatarian and she loved it!
That's a great use – poached sea bass with some sautéed baby bok choy. Yum yum 🙂
I'm happy to report that our own experience with the ginger scallion sauce was…FAB-U-LOUS! Thanks for the great recipe.
Anytime, Tara! I'm glad you guys liked it. When I made it the first time, I could not get enough of the sauce – and all from ingredients that I usually have in the house anyways.