Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 three-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced into 5-6 pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch scallion
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 one-inch piece of ginger, minced
• 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed 2 to 3 times
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pandan leaves, optional
• 1 cucumber, sliced, to garnish
• 1 bunch cilantro, to garnish

Chili sauce

• 5 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth, from above
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice, can be substituted by rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 one-inch piece of ginger

Method

1. Trim any excess fat off the chicken, especially those around the nether-end
2. Reserve the fatty trimmings
3. Season the chicken with salt, making sure to season the cavity well
4. Stuff the chicken with the ginger, garlic, scallions, and star anise
5. Place the chicken in a large pot, and fill it with water until the chicken is completely submerged (around 4 quarts)
6. When the water starts boiling, turn it down to a simmer, place the lid on the pot, and allow the chicken to cook for 20-25 minutes
7. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and transfer it to an ice bath
8. Leave it in the ice bath for 1 minute to halt the cooking process
9. Remove the chicken from the ice bath, and rub it all over with sesame oil
10. Let it rest while you prepare the rice and sauce
11. Meanwhile, add the ground white pepper into the chicken cooking broth, and boil until it has reduced by half
12. In a separate pot or saucepan, render the fat off any chicken trimmings you had from earlier by heating it over low heat for about 5 minutes
13. Discard the trimmings
14. Add in the vegetable oil, and saute the minced shallots on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until aromatic, then add the minced garlic and ginger and continue sauteing for another minute
15. Then, add in the washed rice and give it a final saute for a further 1-2 minutes
16. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and whole pandan leaves to the rice
17. Then, pour in the reduced chicken broth until the rice is submerged by ½ an inch of broth
18. Cook this over high heat until it boils, then turn it down to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or a little more if needed
19. When done, let the rice sit uncovered for 5 minutes to let it steam, then season to taste
20. While waiting for your rice to cook, make the sauce by mixing together the sriracha, chicken broth, lime juice, minced garlic, and ginger
21. Prep the cucumber and cilantro garnishes and carve up the chicken
22. Serve the rice traditional and shape it into little mounds using a small Chinese bowl
23. Serve it with a few slices of chicken, the chilli dipping sauce, and garnish with cucumber slices and a few sprigs of cilantro