Vietnamese Steamed Chicken with Fish Sauce (Gà Hấp Mắm Nhĩ)

Steamed chicken with fish sauce (Gà hấp mắm nhĩ) is a simple yet delicious Southern Vietnamese dish that highlights the natural sweetness of chicken enhanced by the deep umami of mắm nhĩ, the first-press, premium-grade fish sauce.

In this dish, we cook a whole chicken gently in an aromatic sauce infused with ginger, shallots, garlic, black peppercorns, and scallions. The fish sauce mixture not only seasons the chicken but also creates a savory glaze as it reduces, coating the skin in a glossy golden hue. The reduced sauce can be served on the side for dipping or drizzled over the chicken when eating.

• 1 whole chicken (about 2.5-3 lbs or 1.2-1.4kg)
• ½ teaspoon lightly crushed black peppercorns
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced (about 1 oz or 30g)
• 1 oz green peppercorns
• 1 oz shallots, peeled and lightly smashed (about 4-5 medium shallots)
• 0.5 oz garlic, peeled and lightly smashed (about 4-5 medium cloves)
• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
• 5-6 cilantro roots (optional)
• 1½ cups water
• 1.5 oz scallions, cut in half in length

• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil, divided