1Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot; add whole chicken to the boiling water. Crush half the ginger and add to the boiling water. Add crushed green onion white. Boil chicken until 3/4 cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and cool; reserve chicken broth.
2Remove skin from cooled chicken and cut meat from the bones. Cut meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Discard skin and bones.
3Peel the remaining half ginger piece and slice into 1 1/2-inch slivers. Combine ginger slivers, fresh red chile pepper slivers, dried red chile peppers, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
4Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat; add lard and swirl around until melted. Cook and stir ginger-chile pepper mixture in the hot lard, continuously moving wok, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken meat; splash cooking wine around the edges of the chicken. Pour in vinegar and season with salt.
5Pour about 1 cup (or more as needed) leftover chicken broth into the chicken mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center and liquid is mostly evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes.
6Whisk cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water together in a small bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into chicken mixture; stir to coat chicken. Add 5 green onions and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.
Footnotes
Tip
Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.
Ingredients
8 servings
353 cals
4 quarts water
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
2 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, divided
1 green onion, white part only, crushed
2 fresh red chile peppers, seeded and thinly sliced into 1 1/2-inch slivers