Taiwanese Night Market Chicken Salad (Yan Shui Ji) 鹽水雞
Yan Shui Ji is one of Taiwan's most popular night market dishes. Tender chicken is tossed with crisp vegetables and a savoury dressing made from the chicken's own cooking juices, creating a light, refreshing, and incredibly appetising meal that's perfect for summer.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 2 2 boneless chicken leg quarters about 500g bone-in
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 10 g ginger, sliced
- 20 g spring onion stems
FOR THE VEGETABLES
- A handful of broccoli florets
- A handful of baby corn
- A handful of shiitake mushrooms
FOR MIXING
- 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 3-4 tbsp hopped spring onion
FOR THE CHICKEN DRESSING
- Reserved chicken juices about 100ml
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp vegetarian seasoning powder or MSG optional
- 1 tbsp s sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken : Rub the chicken with the salt, cooking wine, and white pepper. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Steam the Chicken : Place a small heatproof bowl upside down in the centre of a large steaming plate. Arrange the chicken over the bowl, then scatter over the ginger slices and spring onion stems.Bring a steamer of water to the boil. Place the plate in the steamer, cover, and steam over medium heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heatand leave the chicken to rest in the steamer, covered, for a further 10minutes.Carefully remove the chicken and immediately transfer it to an ice bath until cooled. Reserve the chicken juices collected on the plate.
- Cook the Vegetables : Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and blanch them in boiling water until just tender (about 3minutes, depending on the vegetables). Drain well and leave to cool.
- Make the Dressing : In a small bowl, combine the reserved chicken juices, salt, white pepper, vegetarian seasoning powder (or MSG), and sesame oil. Stir until well combined.
- Assemble: Using kitchen scissors, cut the chicken into serving-sized pieces. Place the chicken and blanched vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped garlic and spring onion, then pour over the prepared dressing. Toss everything together until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve immediately.
Optional: Transfer the vegetables to an ice bath for a crisper texture, but don't leave them in the water for too long as they may absorb excess moisture.
The reserved chicken juices are the key to creating an authentic, flavourful dressing, so don't throw them away!
This dish can also be served chilled. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.
Notes
