Hainanese chicken

• serves

  4

• prep

  1:30 hour

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.6 kg (3 lb 9 oz) chicken
• 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 6 slices root ginger, plus 2 tbsp grated root ginger
• 4–5 garlic cloves
• 400 g (14 oz/2 cups) long-grain white rice
• salt
• 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
• chilli sauce

Instructions

Place the chicken in a large saucepan so that it fits snugly. Cover with water, then add the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sliced ginger and one of the garlic cloves, lightly bruised. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, strain and reserve the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle pull the meat away from the bones. Discard the bones and most of the skin (reserve some for later). Cut the chicken meat into small pieces.

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Fry the reserved chicken skin until the oil is released. Chop the remaining garlic cloves and add to the pan with the grated root ginger. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until just fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove the chicken skin from the pan, then add the rice and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until all the flavours are well combined.

Add 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) of the reserved stock. Season with the salt, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Heat the remaining stock to use as a broth. Check the seasoning, adding more soy sauce if needed.

To serve, spoon the rice into bowls, add a ladle of hot stock and some pieces of the cooked chicken. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve with chilli sauce.

Recipe from What’s For Dinner by Michele Curtis. Published by Hardie Grant Books.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.