I’m surprised no-one here discusses using the chicken stock so obtained. Traditionally, the poaching or boiling stock (especially when well flavored or stock that has been used to cook several chickens, as in a restaurant serving this dish) is served as an accompanying soup, with some fresh chopped scallions and coriander scattered in.

I also make a variant of this by SIMMERING the whole chicken (no, it doesn’t get dried out, not really) for 10 min per pound + 10 min in just enough water to cover, salted well and with LOTS of smashed ginger. This method does not work well for small chickens, chicken pieces, or even halved or quartered chickens – you need a fair-sized whole chicken. (Free-range chickens are dicey – usually not enough fat, or a little too ‘muscley’) For a 4-5 lb whole chicken (fat removed only if there really is a large excess), skin on, I might use 2 large lobes of ginger (3-4 fat inches length) cut up into pieces then smashed with a large cleaver before adding to the water. Do NOT simmer longer than the allotted time. Remove from stock promptly, let cool (or dunk in ice water), oil can be rubbed onto the skin if desired. The stock is used to make boiled rice. The remaining stock is reheated and chopped veggies added (collards, kale, similar stuff are good choices) and just cooked through (do NOT boil to mushiness)(brocolli or Napa are not good choices if they are ‘left in’ because they change texture /turn to mush & impart additional tastes). Serve the carved up or chopped up chicken (on bone) with the rice, soup+veggies, and the sauce of your choice.

Other sauces I use with this dish (other than the others already mentioned) include some variant of chilli sauce especially those meant for chicken; or finely chopped garlic sauteed in veggie oil till they are just beginning to brown then the hot mix quenched with a good soy sauce (amount as desired)(I usually use Kikkoman – I like it) diluted with a little water or splash of rice vinegar if desired. The chicken livers can also make a nice sauce for this – puree or finely chop/smash+chop, sautee in oil that already has finely chopped shallots in it, toss a little, add stock, salt to taste, cover & simmer for a while, pulp mix a bit more if desired, serve. NB: There are sometimes furious ‘discussions’ about the best chili sauce to accompany this kind of chicken/Hainan-style chicken. :-)