How to prepare Hainanese Chicken Rice. Below are some information on the preparation of ingredients, the chicken rice, and most importantly the chili sauce.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
fresh scallions
fresh ginger, cut into thick slices
soy sauce
sesame oil
additional fresh scallions, chopped them for garnishing
cucumber
salt
Ingredients for Chicken rice:
grained rice, washed and drained
chopped garlic
salt to taste
vegetable oil
chicken broth (from the cooking broth)
pandan leaves
Ingredients for Chili Sauce:
lime juice
chicken broth (from the cooking broth)
sugar
chili sauce
garlic, finely chopped
ginger, finely chopped
salt
To Prepare Chili Sauce:
1. Mix hot chili sauce with lime juice, sugar, garlic, ginger, chicken broth [spooning some of the chicken fat oil] and salt to taste.
2. Pour chili sauce into small condiment dishes, for each individual serving
To Prepare Chicken:
1. Cut away any excess fat, reserve the fat for cooking rice, wash chicken, drain it well and stuff ginger slices and scallions stalks into the cavity of the chicken.
2. In a large stockpot, add enough water [make sure to cover the chicken], white peppercorns and tbsp salt, bring it to a boil.
3. Submerge the whole chicken, breast-side down in the boiling water, lower the fire.
4. Cover, poach chicken for about 45-50 mins, [check to make sure the water does not ‘boil’ the chicken].
5. When chicken is cooked, remove and dip it immediately into cold water, submerging the chicken for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove chicken from cold water, discard ginger slices and scallion stalks, drain the chicken well, set aside – meanwhile cook the chicken rice.
7. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it neatly into serving size pieces.
1. Wash the rice and drain well.
2. Heat up your wok, add the reserved chicken fat if you prefer it rather than using vegetable oil.
3. Add some chopped garlic, stir-fry it till brown.
4. Add rice, stir-fry till the rice grains start to look translucent up to 10 minutes.
5. Transfer rice to a big pot, add about 6 cups of chicken broth, salt and add pandan leaves.
6. Bring it to a boil, turn the heat low, simmer uncovered, till the chicken broth is absorbed by the rice.
7. Control heat and reduce to low, cover the rice with tight-fitting lid, cook for another 10-12 minutes.
8. Turn off heat, DO NOT open the cover, wait for 10 mins before opening the lid.
9. Check if the rice is cook using a fork.
Alternatively, ‘fry’ the raw rice in a wok until translucent, then transfer into an electric rice cooker and add sufficient chicken broth to cook. Don’t throw the extra chicken broth after making the rice, can be served as a small side soup, garnished with some chopped cilantro.
10. Serve with cucumber slices, arrange the chicken pieces and to sprinkle with soy sauce, sesame oil, and garnish with chopped scallions.
The best Hainanese chicken rice usually have a special chili dipping sauce! Add some cut onion under the skin of the chicken between the breast and the legs to give it more flavour. Then, for chili sauce, use a few cloves of garlic, add to taste lemon juice and sugar.
If you’re not big on spicy hot, add more sugar and lemon, add little sauce.