Hmong Poached Chicken with Mint Cilantro Pepper Dip

Hmong Poached Chicken with Mint Cilantro Pepper Dip

Hmong Poached Chicken with Mint Cilantro Pepper Dip

I’ve seen many recipes for poached chicken as well as being on numerous menus at Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hmong restaurants. Honestly, it has always sounded underwhelming to me. Boiled chicken. So what. How wrong have I been. While this Hmong recipe is simply that; boiled in lightly salted water with a couple stalks of lemongrass, the mint cilantro dip is what accents the chicken. The chicken turns out unbelievably tender and flavorful. The bones pull completely out. I like to save the bones from the carcass and return them into the pot of stock you just created. The chicken gets arranged on a platter with the dip served on the side. The other way the chicken is served is to completely shred the chicken and mix it with the dip.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hmong
Keyword: Chicken, East Asian, Hmong, main course, Southeast Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 4 lb whole chicken
  • 1 gallon water
  • 3 tbsp salt
  • 2 stalks lemongrass

Mint Cilantro Pepper Dip

  • 2 cups mint
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup green onions chopped
  • 6 Thai chilies
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions

  • Bring a gallon of water to boil. Add the salt and lemongrass.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
  • Add the whole chicken to the pot. Cover. Simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
  • Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before assembling.
    Hmong, main course, chicken

Mint Cilantro Pepper Dip

  • Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
  • Process into a paste.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
  • Refrigerate until ready for use.
    Hmong, main course, chicken

Poached Chicken Assembly

    Hmong, main course, chicken
    The chicken is tender enough where the bones will pull out clean.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
    I like to return the bones of the carcass back into the stock you created while poaching the chicken. Simmer for another hour over medium heat until you have a half gallon of stock. Save for later use.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
    Slice the breasts and lay out down the middle of a platter. Slice the thighs and lay along side the breast. Lay the wings and drumsticks on the corners of the platter. Serve the mint cilantro dip on the side.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
    The other option for serving is to shred the chicken and mix in the dip.
    Hmong, main course, chicken
    Serve the chicken with sticky rice.