MalaysiaSoutheast Asia

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Name: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1.6 kg Whole chicken, whole, at room temperature; 90 g Ginger root, 60 g sliced for poaching; 30 g minced for the rice, sauce, and oil; 6 stalks Green onions (scallions), 4 whole for poaching, 2 finely sliced for the oil; 1 tbsp Table salt, divided; 3 cups Jasmine rice, uncooked, rinsed; 8 cloves Garlic, minced; 6 for the rice, 2 for the chile sauce; 2 leaves Pandan leaves, knotted, for the rice (optional); ⅓ cup Vegetable oil, 2 tbsp for the rice, the rest for the ginger oil; 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil; 3 tbsp Soy sauce (all-purpose); 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce (Chinese), for drizzling (optional); 3 tbsp Sambal oelek; 2 Lime, juiced, for the chile sauce; 1 tsp Granulated sugar; 1 Cucumber, sliced; ¼ cup Cilantro, sprigs, for garnish (optional)

2 hrServes 6$54.70

A whole chicken is gently poached with ginger and green onion, chilled in ice water for a silky skin, and carved over rice cooked in the poaching broth with garlic and ginger. It is served with cucumber, a chile-garlic-lime sauce, and a ginger and green onion oil. The chile sauce is built on sambal oelek instead of fresh red chiles, and lime replaces calamansi; pandan leaves for the rice are optional.

Ingredients

1.6 kgWhole chickenwhole, at room temperatureBuy 3.53 lb
90 gGinger root60 g sliced for poaching; 30 g minced for the rice, sauce, and oilBuy 0.2 lb
6 stalksGreen onions (scallions)4 whole for poaching, 2 finely sliced for the oilBuy 1 bunch
1 tbspTable saltdividedBuy 1 canister
3 cupsJasmine riceuncooked, rinsedBuy 1 bag
8 clovesGarlicminced; 6 for the rice, 2 for the chile sauceBuy 1 head
2 leavesPandan leaves (optional)knotted, for the riceBuy 1 package
⅓ cupVegetable oil2 tbsp for the rice, the rest for the ginger oilBuy 1 bottle
1 tbspToasted sesame oilBuy 1 bottle
3 tbspSoy sauce (all-purpose)Buy 1 bottle
1 tbspDark soy sauce (Chinese) (optional)for drizzlingBuy 1 bottle
3 tbspSambal oelekBuy 1 jar
2Limejuiced, for the chile sauce
1 tspGranulated sugarBuy 1 bag
1Cucumbersliced
¼ cupCilantro (optional)sprigs, for garnishBuy 1 bunch

Substitutions

Sambal oelek in place of “Fresh red chiles, about 6”. Sambal oelek (ground fresh red chile) is the base of the sauce because fresh long red chiles are not a canonical ingredient; it is saltier and slightly vinegary, so little salt is added.
Lime in place of “Calamansi”. Lime replaces calamansi, which is not a canonical ingredient ('calamansi' returned no products at the reference store); lime is sharper and lacks the orange-like fragrance.

Method

Rub the chicken with 2 tsp of the salt, fill the cavity with the sliced ginger and whole green onions, and lower it into a pot of simmering water to cover.
Keep the water just below a simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C); lift the chicken into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, drain, and rub with the sesame oil. Reserve the broth.
Fry 6 cloves of the garlic and half the minced ginger in 2 tbsp oil until fragrant, add the rice and stir to coat, then cook it in about 3 3/4 cups of the reserved broth with a pinch of salt and the pandan leaves if using until tender.
For the chile sauce, stir the sambal oelek with the remaining garlic, a little minced ginger, the lime juice, sugar, and 2 tbsp broth.
For the ginger oil, heat the remaining oil until shimmering and pour it over the rest of the minced ginger, the sliced green onions, and the remaining salt.
Carve the chicken, drizzle with the soy sauce (and dark soy if using), and serve with the rice, cucumber, cilantro if using, the chile sauce, the ginger oil, and bowls of the hot broth.