Hainanese Chicken Rice
Wenchang, a city in Hainan Province, is the birthplace of Hainanese Chicken Rice. The main ingredients of this dish are chicken and rice, and the primary cooking method is poaching. Wenchang chicken, the key ingredient, is renowned for its light yellow, glossy skin, crispy texture, tender and flavorful meat, and exceptionally smooth and fragrant taste.
In the past, during festivals and celebrations, people in Hainan would use poached chicken and rice balls for ancestral worship. After the rituals, the food would be enjoyed by the family.
INGREDIENTS
- One Three-Yellow Chicken
- A suitable amount of Thai jasmine rice
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the ingredients by washing them thoroughly.
In a pot, add lemongrass, galangal, red shallots, pandan leaves, and a sufficient amount of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Tip:
Lemongrass serves as a seasoning to remove any unwanted flavors, reduce greasiness, and enhance the aroma.
Once boiling, lift the chicken by its head and submerge it into the water. Repeat this process three times.
Tip:
To prevent scalding your hands, it's recommended to wear heat-resistant gloves.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and immerse the whole chicken in the broth. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
In another pot, add the chicken skin and spices. Slowly render the chicken fat over low heat until the skin is crispy. Remove the chicken skin.Pour in the drained Thai jasmine rice and add salt and chicken stock powder. Stir-fry until well combined.
Tip:
Stir-frying the rice with chicken fat allows it to absorb the glossy sheen and savory aroma of the fat, enhancing its flavor and texture. If desired, you can also add herbs for additional fragrance while cooking the rice.
After stir-frying for a few minutes, transfer the rice mixture into the inner pot of an electric rice cooker. Use the chicken broth from the pot instead of plain water to cook the rice.
Prepare a basin of ice water. Remove the chicken from the pot and soak it in the ice water to make the chicken skin tender and firm. Once cooled, remove the chicken from the water and drain off excess moisture.
Tip:
To achieve crispy chicken skin, immediately immerse the cooked chicken in ice water after boiling.
Chop the chicken into pieces and place them on a plate. Serve with a bowl of chicken oil rice and accompany it with sweet soy sauce, minced garlic in sesame oil, and chili sauce.
Tip:
The three dipping sauces can be homemade or store-bought, depending on your preference and time availability. For minced garlic in sesame oil, finely mince garlic cloves, heat salad oil in a pan until it reaches about 70-80% heat, then slowly pour the hot oil over the minced garlic in a container while stirring with chopsticks to evenly distribute the heat. Let it cool before serving.