Hainanese Chicken Rice
Pairs with Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water
This recipe from world-renowned chef Buddha Lo was inspired by his dad and the time they spent together at his restaurant. Hainan chicken and rice make for a deliciously impressive dinner. Don't be intimidated by the components; they come together easily, and the savory notes in the recipe pair perfectly with Saratoga® sparkling water.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 quarts water
- 1 whole chicken
- 4 scallions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 star anise
- 4 knobs of ginger
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1 tbsp salt
Chicken Fat
- Fat from chicken
- 5oz vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 knob ginger
Scallion Oil
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 knobs ginger
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 oz vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
Chicken Rice
- 3 tbsp chicken fat
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups rice
- 3 ½ cups chicken poaching liquid
Soup
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp soya sauce
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp white pepper
Serving
- 1 cucumber
- 3 oz chili samba
Preparation
For the Chicken
STEP ONE
Remove the fat from inside the chicken and save it for later. Salt the inside and outside of the chicken and place it in a pot of water.
STEP TWO
Roughly cut scallions, ginger, garlic and place in the water with chicken bouillon and star anise.
STEP THREE
Bring the pot to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, then place a lid on top and allow the chicken to sit in the hot liquid for 1 hour.
STEP FOUR
Remove chicken and place into salted iced water for 15 minutes before carving.
For the Chicken Fat
STEP ONE
Place chicken fat in the vegetable oil and fry the fat until golden brown.
STEP TWO
Once it is golden brown, place the remaining ingredients in the oil while it's still hot and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.
STEP THREE
Strain fat and reserve it for later.
For the Scallion Oil
STEP ONE
Finely slice scallions and cilantro. Finely grate ginger and garlic and place into a metal bowl along with the scallions and cilantro.
STEP TWO
Heat chicken fat until smoking, then pour over scallions and cilantro. Season with salt, sugar, and sesame oil.
For the Rice
STEP ONE
Wash rice under water for 2 minutes in a strainer, then place it in a medium-sized pot and coat it with chicken fat and salt.
STEP TWO
Cover with chicken poaching liquid and bring to a boil until water has just evaporated, then cover with a lid and allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.
For the Soup
STEP ONE
Bring poaching liquid to a boil and season with salt, white pepper, soya sauce, and sesame oil at the very end and pour into a teapot.
To Serve
STEP ONE
Slice the cucumber thinly and arrange it on a plate. Then, carve the chicken and place it on top of the cucumber. Serve the chicken with scallion oil, sambal, rice, and soup in a teapot.
