Hainanese Chicken Rice

Name: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 1.1 kg Whole Chicken; 2.5 l Water; 1 tbsp Salt, for rubbing chicken; 10g Fresh Ginger, sliced and lightly smashed; 4 cloves of Garlic, lightly smashed; 3 Spring Onions, tied in a knot; 3 leaves of Pandan Leaf, knotted; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil, for brushing the cooked chicken; 1 tsp Fine Salt, to season broth, adjust to taste; 2 cups Jasmine Rice, rinsed and drained; 2 tbsp Rendered Chicken Fat; 3 cloves of Garlic, minced; 15g Fresh Ginger, sliced; 2 leaves of Pandan Leaf, knotted; 540ml Chicken Stock, hot (from the poach); 1/2 tsp Fine Salt; 4 Red Chilies, mild, chopped; 2 Bird's Eye Chilies, hot, chopped; 2 cloves of Garlic; 20g Fresh Ginger; 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice; 2 tbsp Chicken Stock, hot (from the poach); 1 tsp Sugar; 1/2 tsp Salt; 40g Fresh Ginger, very finely grated; 3 Spring Onions, very finely sliced; 1/4 tsp Salt; 4 tbsp Neutral Oil, heated until shimmering; 1 Cucumber, thinly sliced; Some Fresh Coriander (Cilantro)

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a comforting, aromatic dish of silky poached chicken served over fragrant, ginger-garlic rice with bright, tangy dipping sauces. The chicken is gently simmered until tender, then rubbed with oil for a glossy skin, while the rice is cooked in flavorful chicken stock and rendered fat for maximum aroma. Serve it with crisp cucumber, fresh cilantro, and a trio of sauces for a perfectly balanced meal.

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a comforting, aromatic dish of silky poached chicken served over fragrant, ginger-garlic rice with brigh... Show more

Traditional Malaysian Recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Rating

4.4

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

1,53 €

Calories

894 kcal

meal prep

high protein

low sugar

kid friendly

Method

Prep the chicken

Rub the whole chicken all over with the salt, then rinse it well and pat it dry. Smash the fresh ginger and garlic with the flat side of your knife, and tie the spring onions and pandan leaves into loose knots so they can perfume the broth.

Poach the chicken

Put the chicken into a pot with the water, smashed ginger and garlic, the knotted spring onions and pandan leaves, and the fine salt. Bring it just to a boil, then drop the heat to a bare simmer and poach for 30 minutes, skimming away any foam that rises. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken sit in the hot broth for 15 minutes. Lift it out, brush the skin with sesame oil, then ladle off 540 ml of the hot chicken stock for the rice and 2 tbsp for the chili sauce before seasoning the remaining broth to taste.

Cook the rice

Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well. Warm the rendered chicken fat in a saucepan, add the remaining garlic and ginger, and cook just until fragrant. Stir in the rice and the remaining knotted pandan leaves until the grains look glossy, then pour in the reserved hot chicken stock and season with fine salt. Bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes; then turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes so the steam finishes the grains.

Mix the chili sauce

Finely chop the red chilies, bird's eye chilies, garlic, and ginger until they're very small. Stir them together with the fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp of the reserved hot chicken stock, sugar, and salt until the sauce looks bright and spoonable. Let it sit while you finish the rest of the dish so the flavors mellow a little.

Make ginger-scallion oil

Put the very finely grated ginger, the very thinly sliced spring onions, and the salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat the neutral oil until shimmering, then pour it over the aromatics; it should sizzle immediately and smell intensely fragrant. Stir once or twice and let it cool slightly before spooning it over the chicken.

Assemble and serve

Slice the cucumber thinly and arrange it on a platter. Cut the chicken into neat pieces, spoon the rice alongside, and drizzle the light soy sauce over the chicken. Serve the dark soy sauce on the side for dipping, then finish with the fresh coriander and a spoonful of ginger-scallion oil. Bring out the chili sauce and a bowl of the clear broth alongside everything.