HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Makes 4 servings

Lisan

Our very first lunch date too!

ingredients

FOR THE RICE

1. 3 cups long grain rice.
2. 2 tablespoons chicken fat, with skin.
3. 2 tablespoons water.
4. 2-3 centimeters ginger, grated.
5. 3-4 garlic cloves, grated.
6. 1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste).
7. 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, according to rice package instructions (or more, reserved from chicken that will be boiled).
8. 2 screwpine leaves (optional..it will make the rice more fragrant).

FOR THE CHICKEN

1. 1 whole chicken.
2. Water, enough for boiling chicken.
3. 1 piece thumb sized ginger, smashed.
4. 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed slightly.
5. 1 teaspoon salt.

FOR THE CHILLI SAUCE

1. 10 fresh red chillies.
2. 2-centimeters piece ginger.
3. 4 garlic cloves.
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt.
5. 1 teaspoon lime juice.
6. 2 tablespoons chicken stock (from the boiled chicken. This stock is essential for the chilli sauce).

FOR THE GINGER SAUCE

1. 75 grams ginger.
2. 6 garlic cloves.
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. 1 teaspoon lime juice.
5. 2 tablespoons chicken stock (stock from the boiled chicken).

FOR THE CHICKEN SAUCE

1. 1 tablespoon garlic oil.
2. 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
3. 5 tablespoons light soya sauce.
4. 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (to taste).
5. 3 tablespoons chicken broth (from boiled chicken).

FOR THE GARNISHING

1. Fresh coriander leaves.
2. Sliced spring onion.
3. Sliced cucumber.

directions

1
1. Wash rice then place on to tea towel or colander to dry. Prepare chicken. Bring enough water to boil in a large pot. Once boiled, add in salt, ginger,garlic and chicken. Lower heat and cook chicken for about 20-25 minutes, uncovered. Boil chicken very slowly over low flame. Turn off flame and cover pot. Allow chicken to steep inside for another 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken and immerse into a basin of cold water for 5-6 minutes. Take chicken out and drain in a colander to drip dry before cutting into serving pieces.
2
2. While chicken is drip drying, prepare rice. Heat up wok and add in chicken fat and water. Bring to low simmering boil until oil is released from the fat. Add in ginger and garlic and fry well (without burning garlic). Remove and discard chicken fat and skin. Add in rice that has been dried and salt and stir fry briskly about 1-2 minutes. Transfer rice into an electric rice cooker or pot. Add in chicken broth from boiled chicken together with screwpine leaves if using. If cooking in pot, cook over low flame stirring occasionally so as not to let the bottom of rice burn. Boil until rice is cooked.
3
3. While rice is cooking, prepare chili garlic sauce. Add all ingredients into blender or food processor, and blend, until ingredients are well blended. Adjust seasoning with more salt or sugar to taste.The chili garlic sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days only.
4
4. Prepare ginger sauce the same way.Blend ingredients in blender.Add chicken broth.
5
5. Combine all ingredients for chicken sauce and pour it all over the cut up chicken. Add more soy sauce and chicken broth to chicken if preferred. Adjust taste of sauce with soy sauce and chicken broth.If you do not have garlic oil,you can fry a few cloves of garlic in oil for few minutes then take out oil and garlic pour it into a jar, and let the garlic steep inside the oil.
6
6. Garnish chicken with coriander leaves, spring onions and cucumbers.