While your chicken is cooking, it helps to prepare the ingredients for your rice. Both of these are usually assembled after the chicken is done because they require the chicken broth, but you can get started washing and soaking the rice, chopping the garlic and ginger before then. In this recipe, all of the poaching broth is reserved — some is used in the rice and the remainder is saved to be heated and served as a simple soup to accompany the chicken. Or you can reserve the broth to use in another recipe.
Hainanese Chicken With Rice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 whole (3- to 4-pound chicken, trimmed of excess fat)
- Several cloves smashed garlic (plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
- Several slices fresh ginger (plus 1 tablespoon minced ginger)
- 1/2 cup peanut oil (or canola oil)
- 3 shallots (roughly chopped, or a small onion)
- 2 cups brown rice
- 1/2 cup minced scallions
- 2 cucumbers (peeled and sliced)
- 2 to matoes (sliced)
- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- To clean the chicken, with a small handful of kosher salt, rub the chicken all over, getting rid of any loose skin and dirt. Rinse chicken well, inside and outside. Season generously with salt inside and outside. Place the chicken in a large stockpot along with half of the smashed garlic and sliced ginger. Fill with cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bird should be completely submerged, but only just. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn the heat to low to keep a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes more (less if you’re using a smaller chicken). Check for doneness by sticking a chopstick into the flesh under the leg and see if the juices run clear or insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone. It should read 170F.
- Remove chicken from pot, reserve stock, and let bird cool to room temperature. Put half the oil in a skillet over medium heat; you may add trimmed chicken fat to this also. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic, along with shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the brown rice then reduce heat to low and cover; cook for 45 minutes. Do not stir the rice or even bother with looking at the rice until 45 minutes is up. When done, stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- Make a dipping sauce of remaining oil, ginger, half the scallions and a large pinch of salt. Or use prepared chili garlic sauce.
- Shred or chop chicken, discarding skin. Serve rice with a mound chicken on top of it; decorate platter with cucumbers, tomatoes, remaining scallions and cilantro. Sprinkle sesame oil over all and serve with dipping sauce.
- To make the soup: You should have six or seven cups of the reserved poaching broth left over to serve as soup. Just before serving, heat up the soup, taste and season with salt as necessary.
Adapted from NY Times
