Hainanese Chicken Rice | 海南鸡饭

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:04:50 GMT

Step 1

Clean the whole chicken with water (remove chicken feather if there is any) and remove chicken fat pieces from the chicken belly if there is any, save it and set aside.

Step 2

Heat up chicken fat pieces cut from the chicken itself (which is preferred) in a skillet to cook or use cooking oil instead if you cannot get enough chicken fat from the chicken you bought. Once chicken fat is released or hot becomes hot, add in sliced shallot, galangal, lemon grass and scallion, stir fry until golden brown and aromatic, remove them from the skillet.

Step 3

In a big pot filled with roughly 3 Liters of water, add in sautéed shallot, galangal, lemon grass and scallion, further add in cooking wine, bay leaves, turmeric powder and salt to stir. Bring water to boil.

Step 4

Once the broth starts boiling, hold the chicken tight up in the air and slowly put chicken in the boiling broth for 20 seconds, and then lift it up to cool off in the air, repeat this maneuver for a few minutes (this step helps to tenderize chicken skin and meat). Finally leave entire chicken in the broth to cook for 30 minutes until it’s fully cooked.

Step 5

Remove the cooked chicken and soak it in an iced water bowl or bucket to cook off for 5-10 minutes, remove to drain. This helps to cool off chicken quickly as well as maintain the tender texture of chicken skin and the meat inside. Slice the whole chicken into small and long strip sizes (roughly 3-4 inches long and 1.5 inch wide).

Step 6

In a rice cooker, add in rinsed rice, chicken broth from the chicken pot and season with salt, mix well. Cook rice like you normally do in a rice cooker. Or Preferred - If you have enough chicken fat left in the skillet, stir in thinly sliced shallot (2 tbs ) and diced garlic(1tbs) to mix until aromatic, further add in rinsed rice to toss. Season with salt (1/2tsp) and toss around for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Transfer to a rice cooker, add in chicken broth (2.25cups) from the chicken pot, and make rice like you normally do in a rice cooker.

Step 7

In a small dipping sauce container, add in pureed ginger and thinly chopped scallion, pour in and sear the sauce with hot cooking oil, mix well and season with salt to taste. To make a spicy sauce, in a separate container, add in pursed Thai chili, lime juice and salt, mix well to taste (you may also add diced garlic if you like).

Step 8

Scoop a small bowl of cooked rice from rice cooker, and cup it onto a serving plate, arrange in sliced chicken pieces nicely with dipping sauce(s) and sliced cucumber or any leafy vegetable of your choice (preferably a green colored veggie to create a nice contrast). Enjoy!

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