Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients
1 (2-pound) chicken
1 scallion, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 slices fresh, peeled ginger
6 tbsp vegetable oil or chicken oil rendered
from chicken fat
6 to 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups long-grain uncooked rice, washed and
drained
1 tsp fine salt
Mix together for Chilli Sauce:
2 to 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon
juice, 5 tbsp finely chopped fresh red chilies, 5 cloves
garlic, chopped, 3 tbsp finely chopped ginger,
1 tsp fine salt, 1/2 cup boiling hot chicken soup
Instructions
Boil a large pot of water. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with scallion and
ginger. Add chicken to boiling water, breast side-down. Lower the heat
to a simmer just under boiling point and cook, covered until just cooked
through, about 40 minutes. Bathe the chicken in an ice water bath
till chicken is cold to create a tender, springy texture. Heat oil in a rice
cooker, add garlic, stir fry till fragrant. Add uncooked rice, stir fry for
2 minutes, add salt and enough chicken soup to cover 1/2 inch above the
top of the rice. Boil on high heat, lower heat when steam holes form,
cover and steam for 30 minutes till rice is cooked. Chop chicken and serve
with steaming hot rice and chilli sauce. Dark soya sauce is the ideal
accompaniment.
