Must Try Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipes

MUST-TRY HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Steps:

• Trim chicken of all excess fat, reserving fat.
• Place chicken, spring onion, 3 cloves crushed garlic, and one 1-inch piece ginger in a large pot. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming any scum off the surface, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from the pot, reserving broth. Rub chicken with salt. Chop into pieces and arrange on a serving plate.
• Combine soy sauce, 3 tablespoons reserved chicken broth, 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar, garlic oil, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Drizzle over chicken pieces.
• Melt reserved chicken fat in a large pot over medium heat. Add rice, 3 cloves minced garlic, crushed 1-inch piece ginger, and salt; cook and stir until rice is glossy and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour enough reserved chicken broth into the pot to cover rice by half an inch. Cover; bring to a boil. Cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rice sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Combine red chile peppers, juice of 2 limes, 2 tablespoons reserved chicken broth, 3 cloves garlic, one 1/2-inch piece ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 pinch sugar in a blender; blend until garlic chile dip is smooth.
• Combine juice of 2 limes, 2 tablespoons reserved chicken broth, 3 cloves garlic, one 1-inch piece ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a blender; blend until ginger dip is smooth.
• Serve garlic chile and ginger dips alongside chicken and rice.

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• To clean the chicken, rub all over with a handful of kosher salt, getting rid of any loose skin. Rinse the chicken well inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Remove any excess fat from the chicken and set aside for later.
• Season the chicken generously with salt. Stuff the chicken cavity with the ginger slices and scallions.
• Place the chicken in a large stock pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch (2 cm), and season with salt to taste.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C). Remove the pot from the heat.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the poaching liquid for later, and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and to keep the chicken skin springy. Discard the ginger and green onion.
• After it's cooled, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub all over with sesame oil. This will help prevent the chicken from drying out.
• In a large wok or skillet, heat ¼ cup (60 ml) of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved chopped chicken fat, the garlic, ginger, and salt, and fry until aromatic, about 10 minutes.
• Reserve ¼ of the fried garlic mixture, then add the rice to the remaining fried garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Transfer the rice to a rice cooker and add 2 cups (480 ml) of reserved poaching broth. Steam the rice for 60 minutes, or until tender.
• While the rice is cooking, carve the chicken for serving.
• Make the chili sauce: combine the sambal, Sriracha, sugar, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and chicken broth in a small bowl and stir to incorporate.
• Make the ginger garlic sauce: in a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, salt, peanut oil, and rice vinegar, and stir to incorporate.
• Make the soy sauce: in a small bowl, combine the reserved fried garlic and ginger with the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and chicken broth, and stir to incorporate.
• Serve the sliced chicken with the rice, dipping sauces, sliced cucumbers, and fresh cilantro.
• Enjoy!

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Steps:

• Remove the pads of fat from the chicken cavity and reserve. Rub the chicken inside and out with 2 tsp. salt. Loop cotton string around and under the wings and across the breast, then set aside for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, to make the chile sauce, pound the ingredients except the lime juice with a mortar and pestle to a grainy paste (not too fine). Add the lime juice, season with salt and chicken fat to taste, if using, and mix well. Set aside.
• Put the ginger, spring onions, 16 cups water and 1 tsp. salt in a large stockpot and bring to the boil. Holding the chicken by the string, lower it into the boiling stock, submerge for 60 seconds, then lift the chicken out, allowing the water to drain from the cavity. Repeat this a couple of times, bringing the stock back to the boil between each submersion. This process ensures the water circulating in the bird is hot enough for even cooking. Submerge the chicken again, bring the stock back to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
• Cover the pan with a lid, turn off the heat and leave the chicken for 40 minutes to finish cooking. Lift out the chicken, being careful not to break the skin. Let the stock drain from the cavity, then plunge the bird into a bath of ice water to stop cooking. Leave for 20 minutes, then remove, gently pat dry with paper towel and set aside. Reserve the chicken stock.
• To prepare the rice, chop the reserved chicken fat and stir in a wok over medium heat until the fat renders, then discard the solids (or heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a wok). Add the shallots and fry until golden, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Add the rice and fry until it begins to pop. Transfer to a saucepan (or a rice cooker). Add the pandan leaves and pour in the reserved hot stock to cover the rice by ¾ inch. Increase the heat to high, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tightly fitting lid and cook until liquid is absorbed (11-12 minutes). Remove from the heat, remove lid, cover with a tea towel and leave for 5 minutes to steam dry.
• Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a bowl. To make the soup, add the watercress to the remaining stock. Adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.
• Cut up the chicken Chinese-style: Use a cleaver to split the bird down the middle through the breastplate and backbone, then remove the legs and halve them at the joint. Remove and halve the wings in the same manner. Halve the breasts lengthways and cut into thick slices. Arrange on a platter with the sliced cucumber.
• Pour the dressing over the chicken and garnish with cilantro sprigs, if using. Serve with separate bowls of rice and watercress broth and chile sauce on the side.