Ga Hap (Vietnamese Steamed Chicken)

So let's say you don't have the patience to make a proper Hainanese chicken, you can do my quickie short-cut and make ga hap (Vietnamese steamed chicken).

This was a cheap (less than $2) chicken, about 2.5 pounds.




My secret is this steamer. My mom bought if for me when I got my first apartment in college. For a long time, it was also my rice cooker. You can also steam on the stove, but with this steamer, I don't have to worry about burning anything and it rarely overcooks.




Ga Hap (Vietnamese Steamed Chicken)

You'll need:
1 chicken
1 tsp of salt per lb of chicken

Wash chicken. Rub 1 tsp of salt per pound of chicken all over outside and inside of bird. Put in steamer for 25 minutes until chopstick pricked in meat runs clear.

If you don't have a steamer, then use a steamer tray or place a bowl bottom-side up on the bottom of stock pot, then a plate on top. Fill water just to below the steamer tray or plate. After the water boils, turn heat down to medium or medium-low and let chicken steam for about 25 minutes.

Chop and serve with rice.




So simple, but that's because all the flavor comes when you dip it into the Nuoc Mam Gung (Vietnamese Ginger Fish Sauce).




Enjoy!

Who made my Vietnamese steamed chicken?
Christine of Kits Chow said, "I tell you, this is a brilliant idea. The chicken was cooked perfectly in the electric steamer."

*****
1 year ago today, a video and my not-so-pretty but oh-so-yummy Spam Musubi.