Hainanese Chicken Rice
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
A whole chicken is poached until silky, its stock used to cook fragrant rice, and both are served with ginger, chilli and soy dipping sauces.
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Method
- 1
Prepare the chicken. Trim any excess fat from the cavity opening and set it aside for the rice. Rub the bird all over with the first teaspoon of salt and rinse - this lifts away loose bits of skin and seasons the surface - then place the ginger slices, spring onions and garlic in the cavity.
- 2
Poach gently. Bring a pot of water large enough to cover the chicken, with the 2 tsp of salt, to the boil. Lower the chicken in breast-up, bring back to a bare simmer, then reduce the heat so only occasional bubbles show, around 80-85°C, and poach for 35-45 minutes until the thickest part of the breast reaches 74°C and the thigh 77°C.
- 3
Shock and rub with sesame oil. Lift the chicken straight into iced water for 10 minutes. This tightens the skin and gives the chicken its classic silky, jellied texture. Drain well and rub the skin with sesame oil, then set aside, keeping the poaching stock.
- 4
Cook the rice. Render the reserved chicken fat in the saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes (or heat the oil), then discard any solid bits. Fry the garlic, shallot and ginger for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and pale golden, then add the drained rice and stir for 2 minutes until coated and translucent at the edges. Add the 450ml hot poaching stock and salt, bring to the boil, cover, cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then leave off the heat, still covered, for 10 minutes.
- 5
Make the chilli sauce. Blend the chillies, garlic, ginger, lime juice, sugar, poaching stock and salt until smooth.
- 6
Make the ginger-spring onion oil. Put the grated ginger, chopped spring onion and salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat the oil until shimmering and pour it over - it will sizzle on contact, which is what releases the aromatics' flavour quickly without overcooking them.
- 7
Assemble and serve. Stir the sugar into the soy sauce and water for the simple soy dip. Carve the chicken into pieces and serve at room temperature with the rice, cucumber, coriander, the three sauces and a bowl of the hot poaching stock. Serve within 2 hours of cooking, or refrigerate the chicken and serve it chilled later.
Storage
Chicken and rice keep separately in the fridge for up to 2 days; sauces keep up to 3 days. Reheat chicken and rice until piping hot (74°C); the stock can be reboiled before serving. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large stockpot (at least 7 litres) that fits the bird
- large bowl of iced water
- medium saucepan with a tight lid
- blender or mortar and pestle
- instant-read thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1071 kcal |
| Protein | 58 g |
| Carbohydrate | 73.1 g |
| of which sugars | 4.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.1 g |
| Fat | 59.1 g |
| of which saturates | 14.7 g |
| Fibre | 2.5 g |
| Salt | 2.97 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
