You will need a large pot or a wok with a lid. Also, prepare some ice water bath to soak the chicken after cooking
Bring 6 cups of water in a large pot or wok to a boil. Add the white part of the scallions, ginger slices, and salt. Add the chicken drumsticks. Make sure they are covered in the water. Add more water if needed. Bring it back to a very gentle simmer and then lower the heat to almost all the way low (with my stove).
Cover with a lid and set the timer to 40 minutes. During this whole poaching time, the water shouldn't be simmering. It should be just BARELY moving, for real! We want to cook the chicken very slowly and evenly. This is one of the keys to get tender succulent poached chicken
Prepare the dressing:
In a medium to large heat-proof bowl, add chopped green onion, grated ginger, and sugar. Heat up 4 tbsp of oil with a high-smoking point, such as avocado oil, canola oil, grapeseeds oil, etc. When you start seeing the smoke rising, remove from the heat and carefully pour the hot oil over the green onion mixture. It will sizzle vigorously. Give it a stir. When the sizzling has settled, add soy sauce and sesame oil. Have a taste and adjust to your taste preference
Back to the chicken:
If you have a digital thermometer, prick the probe on the thickest part of the meat and it should measure at least 165 F (74 C). If you don't have one, use a chopstick to poke the thickest part of the meat and the juice should run clear. If it still bloody, poach another 5 minutes or so and check again
Save the liquid from cooking the chicken. I transfer them to large bottles and keep them in the fridge after they have cooled down completely. Store them for no more than a week in the fridge. I use them to cook rice, noodle soup, porridge/congee, oatmeal (we eat savory oatmeal), or any kind of soup etc.
Soak in an ice water bath:
If the chicken pieces are done, remove from the poaching liquid to the ice water bath. Let them soak for 5 minutes. This stops the cooking process
To serve (can be served cold or room temperature:
Remove the meat from the bone. You can shred the meat or cut it into serving slices with the skin on for presentation. I place all the slices, skin-side down into a deep plate. Put a serving plate on top and then invert it. The chicken is served in a "domed" shape
If you prefer to serve it cold (it may sound weird to some people but this is quite popular in Chinese cuisine), cover the chicken in a plastic wrap and keep it chilled in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I actually like to eat them cold :)
Garnish with some fresh cilantro leaves. You can drench the dressing over the chicken or serve it on the side