1 Egg Sauce, Oyster Sauce, or Celery Sauce, for serving
Instructions
1. Dress, clean, and truss the fowl. Wrap it fully in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it securely — the cloth prevents scum from settling on the skin and discoloring it.
2. Place a trivet in the bottom of a large pot or heavy saucepan (at least 8 qt / 7.5 L capacity). Set the wrapped fowl on the trivet and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bird.
3. Cover the pot and cook over low heat — maintaining a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil — for approximately 2 to 2.5 hours total (for a 4 lb / 1.8 kg bird), skimming the surface occasionally to remove foam and fat.
4. In the last hour of cooking, add salt to taste (approximately 1 to 2 tsp / 5–10 g). Do not season earlier, as the long simmer concentrates the liquid.
5. The fowl is done when a leg moves freely at the joint, the meat at the thigh registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced. Total simmering time is typically 2 to 2.5 hours.
6. Remove the fowl from the pot, unwrap the cheesecloth, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Egg Sauce, Oyster Sauce, or Celery Sauce. Note: Farmer advises against stuffing a boiled fowl.
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