Hainanese Chicken Rice

Method18 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Trim the whole 3–3½ lb chicken without rinsing raw poultry. Remove and reserve 2 oz cavity fat for the rice, then pat the chicken dry and rub it with all 1 tbsp salt. Keep the reserved fat chilled until rendering. Before heating, mince the rice garlic, roughly chop the sauce ginger and garlic, and have the sauce seasonings ready. Wash the 3 cups raw jasmine rice with clean water and drain, discarding the wash water.

   Uses 1 small whole chicken, 3–3½ lb, with cavity fat for the rice · 1 tbsp salt for rubbing the chicken · 3 cups uncooked jasmine white rice, washed and drained · clean water for washing the rice; discard after washing

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Bring the 12–14 cups poaching water, 4–5 ginger slices and 2 whole scallions to a boil in a large stockpot. Carefully lower the prepared chicken from step 1 into the boiling water breast-side up. Adjust the water level, using optional top-up water only if needed, so the breast just rises above it.

   Uses 12–14 cups water for poaching · 4–5 slices ginger for poaching · 2 whole scallions for poaching · Prepared salted whole chicken, excluding reserved cavity fat · water only if needed to adjust the poaching level

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Let the chicken pot from step 2 return to a boil. Carefully lift the bird so the cooler water drains from its cavity, then return it to the pot. When the water just starts boiling again, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer with slight movement in the water. Cover and maintain that gentle simmer.

   Uses Chicken, ginger, scallions and poaching water

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Gently poach the covered chicken from step 3 for about 30–35 minutes for this 3–3½ lb bird, checking from 30 minutes. Keep the water barely simmering rather than boiling vigorously. The guide is not a completion guarantee; check the chicken in step 5 and continue poaching if necessary.

   First chicken poaching check · 30 minUses Gently simmering whole-chicken pot

5. 5

   Step 5: Prepare a large clean bath of water and ice. Check the chicken from step 4 with a food thermometer in the thickest breast and thigh, away from bone; both must reach 74°C. Continue gently poaching if needed. Once fully cooked, lift the chicken, drain its cavity back into the pot, and lower it carefully into the ice bath without tearing the skin. Cool for about 15 minutes, keeping the bath cold with ice, then drain and check cooling in step 6. Keep the poaching broth from the pot in step 4 separate from the ice bath, for the rice and sauces.

   Chicken ice-bath check · 15 minUses Cooked chicken lifted from its poaching pot · clean water for a large ice bath · ice for a large clean cooling bath · Poaching broth retained in the cooking pot, excluding the lifted chicken

   
6. 6

   Step 6: After about 15 minutes, lift the chicken from the clean ice bath in step 5 and drain it. If still warm, continue cooling with fresh ice as needed. Cover when cooled. If it will wait while the rice and sauces are prepared, carve into smaller portions and refrigerate promptly in shallow containers; keep the cooled chicken chilled until serving and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.

   Uses Chicken lifted from the ice bath · More ice only if needed to keep the same cooling bath cold

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep the poaching broth remaining in the pot from step 5. If a more concentrated stock is wanted, simmer it uncovered to taste; reduction is optional and has no fixed duration. Reserve enough for the measured 4-cup rice draw and the small sauce draws that follow.

   Uses Remaining chicken poaching broth, excluding chicken and ice bath

8. 8

   Step 8: While the chicken cools, heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved 2 oz cavity fat from step 1 and all 1 tsp neutral oil for rice. Cook for about 1–2 minutes, until the fat renders into a small pool; look for roughly 1 tbsp rendered fat, allowing for variation in the fat pieces.

   Uses 2 oz reserved cavity fat for rendering · 1 tsp neutral oil for rendering the reserved cavity fat

9. 9

   Step 9: Stir all 4 minced garlic cloves into the rendered-fat pan from step 8. Fry briefly over medium heat until fragrant, watching closely so the garlic does not burn.

   Uses Rendered cavity-fat and oil pan · 4 cloves garlic, minced, for rice

10. 10

    Step 10: Add all the washed and drained rice from the 3-cup raw stock in step 1 to the garlic-and-fat pan from step 9. Stir continuously over medium heat for about 2 minutes to toast the rice.

    Toast rice · 2 minUses Garlic and rendered-fat pan · All washed and drained rice from the 3-cup raw stock

11. 11

    Step 11: Turn off the heat under the toasted rice from step 10. Transfer the rice with its garlic and rendered fat to a medium-large stovetop pot, leaving any remaining solid lump of cavity fat behind. Use this stovetop route for the rice.

    Uses Toasted rice, garlic and rendered fat, excluding any solid leftover cavity fat

12. 12

    Step 12: Add 4 cups broth drawn from the poaching pot in step 7 and all 2 tsp rice salt to the toasted rice in step 11. Stir briefly and soak for 20 minutes before bringing the pot to a boil in step 13.

    Soak toasted rice in broth · 20 minUses Transferred toasted rice, garlic and rendered fat · 4 cups poaching broth for rice · 2 tsp salt for rice

13. 13

    Step 13: Cover the pot of soaked rice and broth from step 12 and bring it to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, then check that the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed. Continue gently if needed, watching that the bottom does not burn.

    Simmer chicken rice · 15 minUses Soaked toasted rice, chicken broth and salt

14. 14

    Step 14: Finely mince the 4-inch piece of ginger (1 piece) and its separate 2 garlic cloves. Heat all 3 tbsp sauce oil in a small saucepan and gently fry the ginger and garlic until aromatic and lightly caramelized, with their raw sharpness gone. Stir in the pinch of sauce salt and transfer to a sauce dish. If it has become too thick, take it off the heat and stir in a little hot poaching broth from step 7 to loosen it.

    Uses 1 piece ginger, 4 inches long, roughly chopped, for ginger-garlic sauce · 2 cloves garlic for ginger-garlic sauce · 3 tbsp neutral oil for ginger-garlic sauce · 1 pinch salt for ginger-garlic sauce · Optional small hot-broth draw to loosen ginger sauce

15. 15

    Step 15: In a separate small saucepan, heat all ¼ cup sweet-sauce water with the 1¼ oz rock sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens into a syrup. Stir in all ¼ cup dark soy sauce and transfer to its own sauce dish.

    Uses ¼ cup water for sweet soy sauce · 1¼ oz rock sugar for sweet soy sauce · ¼ cup dark soy sauce for sweet sauce

16. 16

    Step 16: Finely grind the 3 red chilies with the separate 1½-inch ginger (1 piece) piece and 2 chili-sauce garlic cloves, scraping down the food processor as needed. Add all ¼ tsp sesame oil, ½ tsp chili-sauce salt, ¼ tsp chili-sauce sugar, 1 tbsp lime juice and ½ tsp rice vinegar. Pulse to combine; a mortar and pestle can also be used.

    Uses 3 medium-hot fresh red chilies, such as Holland chilies · 1 piece ginger, 1½ inches long, for chili sauce · 2 cloves garlic for chili sauce · ¼ tsp sesame oil for chili sauce · ½ tsp salt for chili sauce · ¼ tsp sugar for chili sauce · 1 tbsp fresh lime juice for chili sauce · ½ tsp rice vinegar for chili sauce

17. 17

    Step 17: Transfer the chili paste from step 16 to a bowl. Stir in broth from the poaching pot in step 7, 1 tbsp at a time, until it reaches the sauce consistency you want; about 2 tbsp is the author’s initial guide, but use less for a thicker paste or more as needed.

    Uses Prepared chili paste · Poaching broth, 1 tbsp at a time, to reach the desired sauce consistency

18. 18

    Step 18: Carve the cooled chicken from step 6 if it has not already been carved. Serve promptly with the cooked rice from step 13 and the ginger-garlic, sweet soy and chili sauces from steps 14, 15 and 17. Offer sauces to taste. If desired, heat some remaining poaching broth from step 7 to serve alongside, seasoning it with the optional salt and MSG to taste.

    Uses Cooled chicken ready to carve and serve · Cooked chicken rice · Prepared ginger-garlic sauce · Prepared sweet soy sauce · Prepared chili sauce · Optional remaining poaching broth for serving · salt to taste, only if serving remaining broth · MSG to taste, optional for serving remaining broth