QuoteSteaming is the better way to preserve the flavor of the chicken as it will not lose to the poaching water.
On the other hand, poach the chicken will yield more tender meat since it is cooked at the sub-boiling point.
Perhaps my question has been answered here however steaming is a more consistent gentle heat than poaching and doesn't dilute the flavor into the water so it seems an experiment is in order. https://tasteasianfood.com/chinese-steamed-chicken
Quote'Steaming is an even gentler method of cooking than poaching, because the ingredients don’t come into direct contact with the cooking medium or heat source. Curiously, steaming actually cooks food at higher temperatures than poaching, which means it seals in the flavour and results in a wonderfully tender and moist texture. With ingredients like fish or poultry, the heat also renders out some of the natural fats, but recycle their natural flavour back into the food. Steaming has the added advantage of keeping more of the vitamins and minerals in the foods themselves, rather than leaching them out into the cooking water."
Thoughts: start with the highest quality organic chicken allowed to free range and process it yourself if possible for optimum inherent flavor, poach and use ice bath for to tighten skin so it's crunchy (not crispy since it's not fried). Preferred chicken: 16 week old "wong mo gai" (Cantonese), "huang mao ji" in Mandarin, more mature, more flavorful. Not bred for breast size.
Consider a side by side experiment with one poached and one steamed chicken to see what the differences are with the meat.
