Hainanese Chicken Rice
While your chicken is cooking, it helps to prepare the ingredients for your chili sauce and rice. Both of these are usually assembled after the chicken is done because they require the chicken broth, but you can get started washing and soaking the rice, chopping the garlic and ginger before then. In this recipe, all of the poaching broth is reserved -- some is used in the rice, a small amount is used in the chili sauce, and the remainder is saved to be heated and served as a simple soup to accompany the chicken.
Dovetailing Tip: When cooking the rice for today’s meal, put on another pot of plain rice to cook. You will need 3 cups, so 1 ½ cup of dry rice. This rice will be stored and used for Meal 4, Pineapple Ham and Swiss Casserole.
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 1 whole | chicken (3.5 lbs), preferably organic |
| kosher salt | |
| 4 | inch section of fresh ginger, in 1/4'' slices |
| 2 stalks | green onions, cut into 1" sections (both the green and white parts) |
| 1 teaspoon | sesame oil |
| FOR THE RICE: | |
| 2 tablespoons | chicken fat or 2 tbsp vegetable oil |
| 3 cloves | garlic, finely minced |
| 1 | inch section of ginger, finely minced |
| 2 cups | long-grain uncooked rice, washed and soaked in cool water for 10 min or longer |
| 2 cups | reserved chicken poaching broth |
| 1/2 teaspoon | sesame oil |
| 1 teaspoon | kosher salt |
| FOR THE CHILI SAUCE | |
| 1 tablespoon | lime juice |
| 2 tablespoons | reserved chicken poaching broth |
| 2 teaspoons | sugar |
| 4 tablespoons | sriracha chili sauce, or to taste - I used 1/2 tsp. |
| 4 cloves | garlic |
| 1 | inch of ginger |
| a generous pinch of salt, to taste | |
| TO SERVE: | |
| 1/4 cup | dark soy sauce |
| few sprigs cilantro | |
| 1 | cucumber, thinly sliced or cut into bite-sized chunks |
Directions:
1. To clean the chicken, with a small handful of kosher salt, rub the chicken all over, getting rid of any loose skin and dirt. Rinse chicken well, inside and outside. Season generously with salt inside and outside. Stuff the chicken with the ginger slices and the green onion. Place the chicken in a large stockpot and fill with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn the heat to low to keep a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes more (less if you're using a smaller chicken). Check for doneness by sticking a chopstick into the flesh under the leg and see if the juices run clear or insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone. It should read 170F.
2. When the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Immediately lift and transfer the chicken into a bath of ice water to cool and discard the ginger and green onion. Don't forget to reserve the poaching broth for your rice, your sauce, and the accompanying soup. The quick cooling will stop the cooking process, keeping the meat soft and tender, and giving the skin a lovely firm texture.
3. To cook the rice: Drain the rice. In a wok or sauce pan (use a medium sauce pan if you plan on cooking the rice on the stove top), heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ginger and the garlic and fry until your kitchen smells like heaven. Be careful not to burn the aromatics! Add in your drained rice and stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, mix well.
To make the rice on the stove: In the same sauce pan, add 2 cups of your reserved poaching broth, add salt and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit (with lid still on) for 5-10 minutes more.
To cook rice in a rice cooker: Pour aromatics and rice (after frying) into your rice cooker, add 2 1/2 cups of your reserved poaching broth and salt. Follow the instructions for your model (usually this will just mean "turn it on!")
4. While your rice is cooking, remove the chicken from the ice bath and rub the outside of the chicken with the sesame oil. Carve the chicken for serving.
5. To make the chili sauce: Blend your chili sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and bright red.
6. To make the soup: You should have six or seven cups of the reserved poaching broth left over to serve as soup. Just before serving, heat up the soup, taste and season with salt as necessary.
Serve the chicken rice with chili sauce, dark soy sauce, cucumber slices, and a bowl of hot broth garnished with cilantro or scallions
Source: steamykitchen.com
