Classic Comfort Food: Hainan Chicken Rice

For the Poached Chicken

Ingredients

• 4x Maryland chicken portions (A chicken maryland is a cut of the chicken that contains both the drumstick and the thigh, with the skin on.)

• 1 large stalk of spring onion

• 4 slices of ginger

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• Water
  

Instructions

Put the chicken portions into a large pot

Add spring onion and ginger to the pot

Cover and bring to the boil over medium heat

Lower the heat to just a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked

Turn off the heat and take the chicken pieces out and rest them on a large plate lined with paper towel

When the chicken is cool to the touch, chopped each chicken portion into pieces with equal width and place them on a large plate. Keep each chicken portion's pieces together.

For the Aromatic Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Jasmine rice, washed

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 pandan leaves

• leftover liquid from the poached chicken including the residual ginger and spring onion
  

Instructions

Heat oil in a wok

Add in garlic and fry until slightly browned

Add washed rice and stir fry so the rice grains are coated with the oil

Transfer rice into a rice cooker

Tie each pandan leave into a knot and add the leaves to the rice

Add the poached chicken liquid to the rice until there is about an index finger's knuckle deep of liquid above the rice

Add to the rice the leftover spring onion and ginger from the poaching liquid

Turn rice cooker to RICE COOKING mode and start

For the Ginger and Spring Onion Condiment

Ingredients (amounts can be varied depending on your preference)

• 4 stalks of spring onion, finely chopped

• Equal amount of ginger, finely chopped

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• vegetable oil (enough to cover all the ingredients and depends on your preference on the consistency)
  

Instructions

In a large bowl, add in spring onion, ginger, salt and sugar and mix well

Add in sesame oil

In the wok heat vegetable oil until the wok is smoking

Pour hot oil into the bowl and stir well

You may decide you require more oil after you have poured in the oil so repeat the last 2 steps as needed

Also adjust the salt and sugar amount to your taste

Serving Instructions

Spoon and pack rice into a small bowl and tip rice bowl over on a large plate

Place the chicken pieces for a portion onto the plate and arrange so that the pieces

resemble the original shape of the portion

Spoon in the condiment into a small bowl and place on the plate

Each plate serves 1

Serves 4