Hainanese Chicken Rice (海南鸡饭)
Hainanese Chicken Rice (海南鸡饭) sounds like one dish, but it is a complete meal as it includes the chicken, rice, soup and a few dipping sauces. It takes a lot of labor but definitely worth trying. With my tricks and tips, this will be the tenderest and silkiest chicken you will ever have.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 organic whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
- 1.5 tbsp sea salt to rub the chicken skin
- Water, as needed (1 used 5 liters to blanch, and 2.5 liters to poach)
- 3 scallions
- 2 inches of ginger, sliced thinly
- Pandan leaves (optional)
- Lemongrass (optional)
- Ice water, as needed
- 1 tbsp sesame oil to brush the chicken
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder for the color, optional
- 2 cup jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp the chicken fat that we reserved, or other type of cooking oil
- 3 tbsp shallot
- 1 tbsp garlic chili sauce or sriracha
- 1/2 tbsp ginger
- 2.5 cup the broth that we poached the chicken with
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 clove garlic
- 1 inch of ginger
- 3.5 oz red chili
- 3 Thai bird eye chili
- 4 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tbsp chicken broth, optional
- 1/3 cup diced scallion
- 2.5 tbsp grated ginger
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2.5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp palm sugar, finely shaved (can also use brown sugar)
- 1.5 tsp sesame oil
- The broth that we poached the chicken with
- 6 oz cabbage
- 3 o of carrot slices
- 2 tsp salt
- Cilantro, as garnish
- Cucumber slices
- Asian Clay Pot
Instructions
- 1
Trim the excess chicken fat from the end of the cavity if there is any. Then dice and save the fat to cook the rice later.
- 2
Rub the chicken inside and outside with coarse sea salt to remove impurities and unpleasant smells; Then rinse under running water thoroughly. If you don't want to deal with a whole chicken, use chicken breast or legs but adjust the cooking time and temperature based on your judgment.
- 3
Tie the chicken legs with kitchen twine. Leave a little string at the end; this will make it easier to pick up and transfer the chicken.
- 4
Fill a bit pot with 5 Liters of water and bring to a simmer. The pot needs to be big enough for you to move the chicken around to ensure even blanching.
- 5
Blanch the chicken in hot water for 15 seconds to shrink the chicken skin, then remove it to the side for 30 seconds. Repeat three times.
- 6
Transfer the chicken into a smaller pot and pour in enough blanching water to cover the chicken (2-3 Liters, don't use too much liquid, or else the soup will taste plain). Add scallions and ginger to the pot. Then poach the chicken on the lowest heat for 50-60 minutes or until the inner temperature reaches 160°F (71°C)
- 7
Note: poach means there is no boiling activity in the pot. The water should be calm and slightly steamy. The temperature is around 85C (185F).
- 8
Transfer the chicken into an ice bath for 15 minutes to stop the cooking process. Leave the chicken broth in the pot on the side; we will use it later.
- 9
Mix the sesame oil with a tiny bit of turmeric powder, then brush it onto the chicken skin. Set the chicken aside.
- 10
Rinse the jasmine rice under running water several times and drain it completely.
- 11
Render the reserved chicken fat in a pot over medium heat until you get 1.5 - 2 tbsp of oil. Next, add the diced shallots, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Saute on low heat for a few minutes or until the aromatics are golden.
- 12
Add the rice, salt, and 2.5 cups of chicken broth. Bring this to a simmer. Put on the lid and cook the rice on low heat for 15 minutes.
- 13
Fluff up the rice and set it aside.
- 14
Add the garlic, ginger, red chili, Thai bird eye chilies, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and 1.5 tbsp of the chicken broth into a blender. Blend it until smooth. Set the chili sauce aside.
- 15
Add diced scallions, grated ginger, and salt to a heat-proof bowl.
- 16
Heat the vegetable oil until it is smoking hot; Then pour it over the aromatics and mix well.
- 17
Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, palm sugar, and sesame oil into a saucepot. Stir over low heat until the sugar melts.
- 18
Pour it into a sauce bowl and set it aside.
- 19
You should have about 2 liters of chicken broth left in the pot. Bring it to a boil.
- 20
Add the carrot slices, cabbage, and some salt to taste; Cook them for a minute.
- 21
Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and place it on some cucumber slices. Garnish with diced cilantro.
- 22
Serve with chicken rice, chicken soup, chili sauce, sweet soy sauce, and scallion sauce.