Hainanese Chicken Rice
by Matthew Johnson
Toggle Sound
Restart Video
Ingredients
for 6 servings
HAINANESE CHICKEN
- 3 lb
whole chicken, giblets removed - ¼ cup
kosher salt, divided - 4 inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
- 1 bunch fresh scallion
- 1 gal
cold water, plus more as needed - 2 tablespoons
sesame oil
- ¼ cup
sesame oil - 2 tablespoons
chicken fat, chopped - 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon
fresh ginger, minced - 1 teaspoon
kosher salt - 2 cups
long grain rice, rinsed and drained - 2 cups
reserved chicken poaching broth
- 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
- 2 tablespoons
fresh ginger, grated - 2 tablespoons
garlic, finely minced - kosher salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoons
peanut oil - 1 tablespoon
rice vinegar
- 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
- 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!