Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (2.5-3 lbs) or bone-in chicken parts
• 4 fresh ginger, large slices, bruised
• 4 stalks green onions, cut into 2-inch sections, bruised
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 cups ice water
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• 2 tbsp chicken fat (from poaching chicken) or vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 3-4 red chilies (like bird's eye), deseeded and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp chicken broth (from poaching chicken)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp green onions, minced
• 3 tbsp hot oil (heated cooking oil)
• 0.25 tsp salt
• to taste dark soy sauce
• 0.5 cucumber, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

How to make Hainanese Chicken Rice

1. **Poach the Chicken:** Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out. Rub generously with 1 tablespoon of salt. In a large pot, bring enough water (about 8-10 cups) to a rolling boil. Add sliced ginger, green onion sections, and smashed garlic. Carefully lower the chicken into the boiling water. Once the water returns to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes (for a whole chicken) or 10-15 minutes (for parts).
2. Turn off the heat and let the chicken steep in the hot water, covered, for another 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F/74°C). This gentle poaching keeps the chicken moist. Remove the chicken from the pot and immediately plunge it into a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to stop cooking and firm up the skin. Reserve the poaching liquid (this is your chicken broth). Once cooled, pat the chicken dry and brush lightly with sesame oil to prevent drying. Roughly chop the chicken into serving pieces.
3. **Cook the Rice:** Rinse the Jasmine rice several times until the water runs clear. Drain well. In a medium pot or rice cooker, heat the chicken fat (or oil) over medium heat. Add minced ginger and garlic, stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the rinsed rice and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted. Pour in 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth, add pandan leaf (if using) and 0.5 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
4. **Prepare the Sauces:** * **Chili Sauce:** Combine minced chilies, garlic, ginger, lime juice, sugar, 0.5 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp chicken broth in a small bowl. Mix well. * **Ginger Scallion Sauce:** In a small heatproof bowl, combine grated ginger, minced green onions, and 0.25 tsp salt. Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil until smoking hot. Carefully pour the hot oil over the ginger and scallions; it will sizzle. Stir to combine.
5. **Assemble and Serve:** Arrange the chopped chicken over a bed of the fragrant chicken rice. Serve immediately with the chili sauce, ginger scallion sauce, and dark soy sauce on the side. Garnish with sliced cucumber and fresh cilantro. You can also offer a small bowl of the reserved chicken broth as a side soup.

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