4
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5 hrs
6 hrs 20 mins
This is my attempt to recreate a surprising Hainanese chicken rice dish I had in Malaysia. Unlike traditional chicken rice, this was served in a claypot, with fragrant yellow-tinged rice that had a faint taste of curry powder, and was accompanied by a particularly flavourful ginger-scallion sauce. I got hold of "kampung" chickens, which are smaller and wiry compared to typical chickens, but have a yellow skin that renders out aromatic fat and yields meat with a more pronounced chicken-y flavour. I first made chicken stock with the bones and used that stock to sous vide the legs and breasts at different temperatures, which added more time to the recipe but resulted in moist, flavourful chicken. I then used the stock and remaining poaching liquid to cook the rice, which turned out plump and strikingly yellow. Although it wasn't exactly how I remembered it, it's still pretty delicious. Make sure you take the time to cook out the ginger and spring onion aromatic oil because it packs a punch and is an essential addition to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 145 grams + 1 piece ginger, divided
- 6 stalks + 180 grams spring onions, divided
- 14 sprigs coriander, divided
- 4 pandan leaves, divided
- 4 cloves garlic
- 30 grams + 1 tablespoon coriander, divided
- 15 tablespoons oil
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 cups rice
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
Nutrition
1768
69 g
119 g
111 g
Instructions
Cut the Chicken
- 1
Cut up a whole chicken into thighs, breasts, wings, and drumsticks. Reserve the bones for making the stock and any excess skin for making the aromatic oil for rice.
- 1 chicken
Chicken Stock
- 1
Slice ginger into thick slices. Chop spring onions, coriander and pandan leaves into large chunks. Smash garlic cloves.
- 2
In a large pot, add the chicken bones and cover with water (2:1 ratio of water to bones by weight) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Skim any scum off the surface for the first 10 minutes.
- 3
Add the coriander, ginger, spring onions, garlic, and pandan leaves. Cook for another hour.
- 4
Strain the stock and reserve.
- 20 grams ginger
- 4 stalks spring onions
- 8 sprigs coriander
- 2 pandan leaves
- 4 cloves garlic
- chicken bones
Ginger-Scallion Sauce
- 1
Finely chop ginger, spring onion and coriander.
- 2
In a small pan, heat oil until shimmering.
- 3
Add the chopped ginger and cook until aromatic, about 15 seconds.
- 4
Add the chopped spring onion and coriander and cook another 30 seconds. The herbs should be wilted and softened.
- 5
Remove the pan from the heat and add the sesame oil, sugar and salt.
- 6
Adjust the seasoning as needed, then transfer to a container, allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.
- 125 grams ginger
- 180 grams spring onions
- 30 grams coriander
- 15 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
Aromatic Oil for Rice
- 1
Heat chicken skin and 1 tbs water in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until all the fat has rendered out, about 10 minutes.
- 2
While the fat is rendering, slice shallots and ginger and chop coriander and spring onion.
- 3
Discard the skin, leaving the fat in the pan. Still over low heat, add shallots and allow to cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- 4
Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy shallots and drain on paper towels. Reserve the crispy shallots for the soup.
- 5
Add coriander, spring onions, and ginger to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes until aromatic. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- 6
Strain the oil and set aside for the rice.
- 4 tablespoons chicken skin
- 2 shallots
- 1 piece ginger
- 2 sprigs coriander
- 2 stalks spring onions
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Sous Vide Chicken
- 1
Season chicken stock with salt, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
- 2
Preheat a sous vide to 65°C (149°F).
- 3
Sous vide the chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks in the seasoned stock for 1 hour.
- 4
Allow the chicken to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- 5
Heat the sous vide to 74ºC (165ºF) and repeat the process with the chicken breasts and chicken wings.
- 0.5 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 chicken thighs
- 2 chicken drumsticks
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 chicken wings
Claypot Rice
- 1
Rinse the rice and drain well.
- 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the prepared aromatic oil in a claypot over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
- 3
Add rice and stir to coat the rice in the oil.
- 4
Add some reserved stock and 2 pandan leaves, season with salt, and bring to a boil.
- 5
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes until the rice is done.
- 2 tablespoons aromatic oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 cups rice
- 3.5 cups chicken stock
- 2 pandan leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chicken Soup
- 1
While the rice is cooking, reheat the remaining chicken stock in a pot, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Garnish with fried shallots and coriander.
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots
- 1 tablespoon coriander
To Finish
- 1
Chop the sous vide chicken into bite size pieces.
- 2
Chop the coriander.
- 3
Place the chicken on top of the rice, drizzle the dark soy sauce over, and top with the coriander.
- 4
Serve in the claypot with the ginger-scallion sauce and bok choy soup on the side.
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 4 sprigs coriander