Hainan Chicken & Rice (海南雞飯)
Hainan Chicken Rice is an extremely popular dish in Singapore. Nearly every hawker in Singapore can make a good Hainan Chicken Rice. We don't have access to a quality Hainan Chicken Rice here in Australia, so I have to resort to making my own at home.
To me, an excellent Hainan Chicken Rice has the following qualities:
- the chicken meat is silky smooth and super tender;
- the chicken rice is fragrant and flavoursome; and
- the ginger, chilli & garlic sauce is tasty and gives the right amount of "kick".
After experimenting with a few different ways of making Hainan Chicken Rice and with varying success, I can now post a recipe that I am reasonably happy with. (Do follow the sequence under Method for a smooth workflow.)
VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/Lcv6KIrC-t4
INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
1 whole chicken (in the video, I used only half a chicken)
4 slices of ginger
1/2 stalk of spring onion
Sufficient water to cover the chicken meat
Chicken rice:
1 cup of jasmine rice (washed & drained)
Chicken fat (from the chicken)
4 slices of ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of chicken stock
Chicken soya sauce *
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of light soya sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons of chicken stock
Chilli and ginger sauce:
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 fresh chilli (chopped)
1 tablespoon garlic & oil
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of chicken soya sauce (see above *)
Spring onion and ginger sauce:
Half a stalk of spring onion (sliced)
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of garlic & oil
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of chicken soya sauce (see above *)
Chicken soup (per serve):
1 cup of chicken stock
2 lettuce leaves (shredded)
1 teaspoon fried onion
METHOD
1. Poach the chicken
Place ginger and spring onion in a pot of boiling water. Cover and boil for a few minutes. Ensure there is sufficient water to cover the chicken meat.
Make sure the chicken reach room temperature before putting it into the pot of boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil. Dip the chicken in and out of water ensuring the water fill the inside of the chicken.
Cover the pot and boil the chicken for 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to very low and simmer for 20 minutes. {In the meanwhile, move to step 2.)
After 20 minutes, check whether chicken is fully cooked. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 70°C.
Remove the chicken and put it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. (I didn't do this step in the video).
Once cooled, remove the bones (if preferred) and slice the chicken. Put the sliced chicken on a serving dish. Brush the chicken lightly with sesame oil.
Place the bones back into the pot of water and continue boiling to reduce to a more concentrated chicken soup.
2. Make garlic oil and cook the rice
Place chopped chilli and grated ginger in a sauce bowl. Set aside.
Place sliced spring onion and grated ginger in another sauce bowl. Set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add chicken fat and fry.
Add chopped garlic and fry till golden.
Remove 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic to the bowl of chilli and ginger.
Remove 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic to the bowl of spring onion and ginger.
Add ginger slices to the remaining oil and garlic.
Add the washed rice and fry till the rice is fully coated with the ginger and garlic mixture.
Add salt, to taste.
Transfer rice to a rice cooker and add 1 cup of the chicken poaching liquid.
Steam the rice as per usual method.
3. Prepare the sauces
Chicken soya sauce:
Place sugar, sesame oil and soya sauce in a sauce bowl.
Add 4 tablespoons of poaching liquid. Stir to mix.
Chilli and ginger sauce:
Add salt and 2 tablespoons of chicken soya sauce to the bowl of chilli, ginger and garlic oil. Stir to mix.
Spring onion and ginger sauce:
Add salt and 2 tablespoons of chicken soya sauce to the bowl of spring onion, ginger and garlic oil. Stir to mix.
Pour the remaining chicken soya sauce over the chopped chicken, just before serving.
4. Prepare the chicken soup:
Place lettuce shreds in a soup bowl.
Ladle the boiling chicken stock into the bowl.
Top with fried onion.
Serve Hainan chicken and chicken rice with chilli ginger sauce, spring onion ginger sauce and chicken soup. Enjoy a hearty meal 😋😋😋😋😋