Hainan Chicken Rice

Food of:
Malaysia & Singapore

Food submitted by:
foodyoo/Johor/Malaysia

Hainan Chicken Rice (海南鸡饭) is a Chinese rice dish. Rice cooked in chicken stock and served with “boil cooked” or steamed chicken. Fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock and other secret ingredients, accompanied by chopped chicken meat and slices of cucumber, extremely brilliant combination. Good Hainan Chicken Rice should have very smooth chicken meat and the rice must smell good. One more important element of a good Hainan Chicken Rice is a special make chili sauce.

Chicken Rice at Ipoh Malaysia is normally serving with bean sprouts.

And in Malacca, the chicken is served with rice balls rather than a bowl of rice, commonly known as Chicken Rice Balls. The rice is shaped into golf ball-sized orbs and served alongside the chopped chicken.

In Singapore, Hainanese Chicken Rice is considered as one of the "national dishes”, and is often served at international expositions and global events abroad, and in Singapore-run restaurants overseas.

Recipe: (Enough for 4 serving)

Ingredients:

• Rice
• Whole chicken
• Ginger
• Garlic
• A few cloves
• Cinnamon (1-2)
• Pandan leaves
• Salt

Garnish:

• Sesame oil
• Soya sauce (light)
• Coriander Leaf
• Cucumber (sliced)
• Fish sauce
• Sugar
• Fresh red chillies
• Ginger
• Green lime
• Garlic Vinegar

How to cook?

1. Cook chicken in water, adding pandan leaves and salt for flavor.

2. Simmer the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes, but do not overcook. To check for doneness, poke a chopstick into the chicken - it should go in easily.

3. Remove chicken, plunge the chicken into ice water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and tighten the skin. Drain, rub with sesame oil, and let cool to room temperature and cut into serving pieces. Keep the stock for rice and soup.

4. Fry ginger and garlic with oil until fragrant. Add to rice.

5. Add the chicken stock, cinnamon, cloves and pandan leaves to the rice. Cook in a rice cooker.

Chilli Sauce

1. Put the garlic and ginger in a mixer and blend until finely chopped.

2. Add chopped red chillies, vinegar, fish sauce, salt and sugar to taste. Squeeze the lime juice in just before serving.

3. To serve: arrange the chicken on a plate and serve with sliced cucumber on the side. For flavor, sprinkle some light soya sauce and sesame oil over the chicken and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve the chilli sauce in separate bowls.

4. Remove pandan leaves, garlic, ginger, cloves and cinnamon from rice. Serve the rice piping hot.