This is a dish of Chinese origin which is now very popular in Malaysia and Singapore ,sure adaption has been made over the years ,but I simply follow the old recipe from my mother in-law, her roots of Wenchang,Hainan Island.
So this is my favorite and signature dish for gathering with my siblings…..
Definitely a dish for those chicken and comfort food lovers,a good Wenchang chicken rice here.
Ingredients:
1: 1 whole chicken ( preferably with fat)
2: 4 cups uncooked rice
3: 1 whole garlic, 1 big thumb ginger ( both roughly chopped before pounding)
4: 1 stalk of lemongrass 2 stalks of scallion
5: 1 tangerine (squeeze into 3-4 tbsp juice )
Steps: (For the chicken)
1: Season the chicken with salt all over inside and out at least 3 hours
( preferably over night if time allowed )
2: Rinse chicken, drain and set aside
3 : Stuff scallion and 2 slices ginger inside chicken cavity, carefully put chicken into a deep pot
with hot boiling water, (enough to cover the whole chicken)
4: Cook 15 mins with medium heat then carefully turn the chicken over
and slimmer for another 15 mins, turn off the heat and soak for 10 mins.
Take out, and cool before chop.
(Cooking time adjust accordingly to the size of the chicken)*
Steps for the rice:
1: wash, soak 30 mins and drain.
2 : Put chicken fat in wok, fry till soft and fragrant, add garlic ,add rice
a dash of soy sauce and saute till fragrant…
3: Transfer rice to rice cooker, add chicken soup to rice mixture ,and cook accordingly.
Add lemongrass on top of the rice and keep warm for 8-10 mins,
done and ready to serve.
Tips..no water added for typical Hainanese chicken rice,
and less soup added to rice as rice has been soaked and fried before cook *
Steps of the sauce :
1: pound the sliced ginger and garlic till smooth…put onto a glass bowl..
2: add 1 tbsp salt, 3-4 tbsp of floating oil from the chicken soup and mix well..
add 3 tbsp tangerine juice , coriander, fresh chili bits as final .
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