Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Preparation
- 4 whole chicken legs, boned with skin intact
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml shaoxing wine
- 2 g white pepper, ground
Rice Filling
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 10 g ginger, grated
- 100 g chicken livers, cleaned and finely chopped
- 100 g shiitake mushrooms, fresh, diced
- 200 g white rice, cooked and cooled
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 5 ml toasted sesame oil
- 30 ml chicken stock
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 715 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 632 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 272 mg
- Potassium
- 677 mg
- Calcium
- 46 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 70 mg
- Phosphorus
- 493 mg
- Zinc
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 881 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 5.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.83 mg
- Niacin
- 13.9 mg
- Folate
- 166 mcg
- Water
- 204 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the boned chicken legs in a mixing bowl. Add 15ml light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper. Toss to coat evenly and let marinate while preparing the filling. Wash hands and surfaces thoroughly after handling raw poultry.
Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot, garlic, and grated ginger, cooking until highly fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped chicken livers and diced shiitake mushrooms to the saute pan. Cook until the livers are fully browned on the outside and the mushrooms have softened and released their moisture, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in the cooked white rice, remaining 15ml light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and chicken stock. Mix thoroughly until the rice takes on an even color and absorbs the liquids. Allow the filling to cool slightly.
Lay the marinated chicken legs flat on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Divide the rice filling evenly into the center of each leg. Pull the edges of the chicken meat around the filling to enclose it completely, then secure the seams using kitchen twine.
Prepare your steamer over rapidly boiling water. Place the stuffed chicken legs seam-side down on a heatproof plate that fits inside the steamer basket. Cover and steam until the chicken is completely opaque, tender, and the thickest part registers 74C/165F internally, about 40 minutes.
Carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Let the stuffed chicken legs rest for 5 minutes before gently removing the kitchen twine. Slice into thick medallions and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- When deboning the chicken legs, take care not to pierce the skin. Work the boning knife close to the bone, scraping the meat downward rather than pulling.
- Soaking the chicken livers in milk or cold water for 20 minutes before chopping helps draw out excess blood and mellows their strong metallic flavor.
- Short-grain or medium-grain white rice works best for this filling as it possesses the right amount of stickiness to hold together when the finished chicken is sliced.
- Always maintain safety protocols when working with raw poultry. Sanitize the cutting board immediately after stuffing the chicken and before tying the kitchen twine to prevent cross-contamination.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container with any accumulated steaming juices to keep the meat moist.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individually in plastic wrap and then foil before freezing to prevent freezer burn.
Reheating: Thaw completely if frozen. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes until heated through and the center registers 74C.
Troubleshooting
Chicken skin bursts and filling spills out during steaming
Cause: Overstuffing the chicken legs or tying them too tightly, leaving no room for the meat to shrink and the filling to expand
Fix: Serve carefully by scooping the spilled filling onto the plate alongside the sliced chicken. Cannot be fully fixed visually.
Prevention: Leave a small margin of space inside the chicken leg and tie just securely enough to hold the shape without squeezing the meat tightly
Filling tastes dry after steaming
Cause: Rice was too dry initially or not enough chicken stock was added to the filling mixture
Fix: Drizzle the finished dish with the savory juices that accumulated on the steaming plate.
Prevention: Ensure the cooked rice is adequately moistened with the stock and seasonings before stuffing
Cultural Context
Stuffed poultry dishes are celebrated in Chinese banquet cuisine, representing wholeness and prosperity. Steaming is a revered technique that preserves the delicate textures and natural juices of both the meat and the savory rice filling, highlighting the pure flavors of the ingredients.
