Hainanese-Style Chicken Rice

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg whole chicken (fat trimmed and reserved, cavity cleaned)
• kosher salt (for exfoliating the skin and seasoning)
• 4 oz ginger (sliced into rounds, divided for broth and sauces)
• 1 bunch scallions (cut into lengths, divided for broth and garnish)
• 6 garlic (cloves, smashed)
• 2 cup jasmine rice (rinsed until water runs clear)
• chicken fat (trimmed from the whole chicken)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil (for brushing the chicken and seasoning rice)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce (for the soy dipping sauce)
• 3 red chili peppers (fresno or bird's eye, for chili sauce)
• 1 tbsp lime juice (for chili sauce)
• 1 cucumber (sliced for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the chicken by trimming excess fat from the cavity opening and neck area; set this fat aside for the rice. Rub the skin of the chicken vigorously with kosher salt to exfoliate and smooth the texture, then rinse thoroughly under cold water.

2. 2

   Stuff the chicken cavity with half of the ginger slices and half of the scallions.

3. 3

   Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Add the remaining ginger, scallions, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for about 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).

4. 4

   Prepare an ice bath. Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot and plunge it into the ice water for 5-10 minutes to stop the cooking process and create a gelatinous skin texture.

5. 5

   While the chicken cools, render the reserved chicken fat in a wok or saucepan over medium heat until liquid. Add smashed garlic and sauté until fragrant.

6. 6

   Add the rinsed jasmine rice to the rendered fat and garlic. Stir-fry the rice for 2-3 minutes until the grains are coated and slightly translucent.

7. 7

   Transfer the rice to a rice cooker or pot. Use the chicken poaching liquid (broth) as the cooking liquid for the rice, using the standard 1:1.5 rice-to-liquid ratio. Cook until fluffy.

8. 8

   Remove the chicken from the ice bath, pat dry, and brush the skin generously with sesame oil. Carve the chicken into bite-sized pieces, bone-in or boneless as preferred.

9. 9

   Prepare the ginger-scallion sauce by finely mincing ginger and scallions, then pouring over smoking hot oil and seasoning with salt.

10. 10

    Prepare the chili sauce by blending red chilies, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and a splash of the chicken broth.

11. 11

    Prepare the soy sauce by mixing light soy sauce with a little sesame oil and a spoonful of the chicken broth.

12. 12

    Serve the sliced chicken over a bed of the fragrant rice, garnished with cucumber slices and fresh cilantro. Serve the three sauces on the side with a small bowl of the remaining hot chicken broth.

Notes

For the best results, ensure the poaching water never reaches a rolling boil after the initial heat-up, as this keeps the meat tender. The ice bath is essential for the traditional 'snap' in the skin.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• chicken
• Asian
• dinner
• comfort food
• poached