Hainanese Chicken Rice
by Matthew Johnson
Ingredients
for 6 servings
Hainanese Chicken
- 3 lb (1.3 kg) whole chicken, giblets removed
- ¼ cup (60 g) kosher salt, divided
- 4 inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
- 1 bunch fresh scallion
- 1 gal (3.7 L) cold water, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Hainanese Rice
- ¼ cup (60 mL) sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chicken fat, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (400 g) long grain rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups (480 mL) reserved chicken poaching broth
Chili Sauce
- 2 tablespoons sambal
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken poaching broth
Ginger Garlic Sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
- kosher salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Soy Dipping Sauce
- reserved fried garlic and ginger
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken poaching broth
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced, for serving
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, for serving
Preparation
- To clean the chicken, rub all over with a handful of kosher salt, getting rid of any loose skin. Rinse the chicken well inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Remove any excess fat from the chicken and set aside for later.
- Season the chicken generously with salt. Stuff the chicken cavity with the ginger slices and scallions.
- Place the chicken in a large stock pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch (2 cm), and season with salt to taste.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C). Remove the pot from the heat.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the poaching liquid for later, and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and to keep the chicken skin springy. Discard the ginger and green onion.
- After it’s cooled, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub all over with sesame oil. This will help prevent the chicken from drying out.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat ¼ cup (60 ml) of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved chopped chicken fat, the garlic, ginger, and salt, and fry until aromatic, about 10 minutes.
- Reserve ¼ of the fried garlic mixture, then add the rice to the remaining fried garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Transfer the rice to a rice cooker and add 2 cups (480 ml) of reserved poaching broth. Steam the rice for 60 minutes, or until tender.
- While the rice is cooking, carve the chicken for serving.
- Make the chili sauce: combine the sambal, Sriracha, sugar, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and chicken broth in a small bowl and stir to incorporate.
- Make the ginger garlic sauce: in a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, salt, peanut oil, and rice vinegar, and stir to incorporate.
- Make the soy sauce: in a small bowl, combine the reserved fried garlic and ginger with the oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and chicken broth, and stir to incorporate.
- Serve the sliced chicken with the rice, dipping sauces, sliced cucumbers, and fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
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