Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredient

  • 985g – 1000g chicken thighs (approx. 4 )
  • 110g onion (1/2 a medium-sized)
  • 2 stalks scallions
  • 3 cloves crushed garlic
  • 6 slices ginger
  • 35g cilantro (optional)
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 3 cups water
  • sesame oil ( for brushing )

Ingredients for rice:

  • 1.5 cups rice
  • 1-2g dried shallots
  • olive oil
  • 10g minced ginger
  • 2 clove garlic ( minced )
  • 1.5 – 2 cups chicken stock
  • pinch of salt

Ingredients for ginger-scallion sauce:

  • 15g minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic ( minced )
  • 2 stalks scallions
  • 2g salt
  • 2 tsp olive oil

Instructions

1.) Cut cucumbers into slices. Set aside.

2.) Place chopped up onion, 2 stalks green onions, 3 cloves of crushed garlic and cilantro in a pot. Add 3 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil.

3.) Marinate the chicken thighs with 1.5 tsp of salt.

4.) Add the chicken thighs into the boiling water.

5.) Cover the pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. As soon as the water reaches a vigorous boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the chicken, covered, at a very slow boil for 5 minutes.

6.) Then remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. (The exact time will depend on the size of the thighs.)

7.) When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot, using tongs or a slotted spoon. (Reserve the chicken stock in the pot for later use.) Put the chicken thighs under cold running water / iced-bath to cool.

8.) Debone the chicken thighs. (Save the bones for later use.) Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks. Brush the surface with some sesame oil. Set Aside.

9.) Bring the saved-up chicken stock back to a boil. Put the chicken bones back into the stock. Boil on HIGH heat until there’s at least 2 cups of stock left.

10.) Drain the stock. Discard all the bones and ingredients. Set the soup stock aside for later use.

11.) Wash 1.5 cups of rice. Drain well and set aside.

12.) Grate some ginger and 2 cloves of garlic.

13.) In a heated pan, add a little bit of olive oil. Add in the grated ginger and garlic.

14.) Add in the rice and the dried shallots. Stir-fry everything until fragrant.

15.) Transfer the rice to a rice cooker. Add 1.5 – 2 cups of chicken stock. Cook rice.

16.) In the meantime, prepare the ginger-scallion sauce.

17.) Grate 15g ginger and 1 clove garlic. Cut up scallions. Put them all in a small dish.

18.) Add 2g salt to the mixture.

19.) Heat up some olive oil.

20.) Pour the heated oil over the ginger,garlic,scallion and salt mixture. Mix well.

21.) Arrange the cucumber slices along the side of the plate of chicken.

22.) Ready to serve !! Enjoy !!! =)

NOTE : If you would like a nice bowl of chicken soup to accompany your chicken rice, you could use 5 cups of water ( instead of 3 ) to make your stock. Boil the stock down until you have at least 4 cups of liquid left ( Please refer to Step 9). Ladle off the top layer of fat/oil, right before you serve the chicken soup. Also, if you’re not a health-concious freak like I am, you could replace olive oil with chicken fat. =)