Chinese Chicken Rice

Two things happened after I debated (with myself) whether I'd be making something with chocolate (because we no longer have any chocolate desserts at home for emergency cravings) or cooking chicken soup (because both of us were slightly under the weather) over the weekend.

Najah gave me a whole bestest chocolate cake and I found this recipe while reading the August issue of the Australian Gourmet Traveller (one of my favorite recipe source now).

As Vijay pointed out, it's a bit of an irony for me to cook chicken rice out of GT instead of some traditional recipe from my parents. The fact is my parents didn't make white cut chicken rice often, they both preferred the salted heavily rice wined variety (I think it's a Hakka thing but will have to confirm it with my mum).

God bless the man or woman who invented this - I have no idea where chicken rice originates from despite both Singapore and Malaysia claiming it as one of their national dishes. It is without doubt our favorite Chinese way of enjoying a good chicken. GT's recipe attracted me with the ingredients used to cook the chicken and the intriguing chili dressing. We dislike rice in broth so I made a few changes to the recipe and used some elements from this one.

The end result disappeared without leaving leftovers for the first time in the history of our cooking-for-two life. Okay, there was a little help in the form of my ex-boss dropping by for Sunday's lunch. I will definitely try Linda Tay's poaching method the next time to get a juicier bird.

It was good meal to end a great weekend. This week there shall be an encore. Really. We love chicken rice that much.

Chinese Chicken Rice
Adapted generously from the Australian Gourmet Traveller and Linda Tay Esposito's Flavor Explosions.
Serves 4

Note: The many changes I made, hold your breath - chili dressing according to GT's recipe with lime juice and a little brown sugar for balance, the rice was cooked in the chicken broth added with butter, ginger, garlic and pandan leaves. The chicken was plunged into an ice bath after cooking and served with the dressing sauce from Linda Tay's recipe minus the garlic. Shaoxing wine can be substituted with vinegar, sugar and soya sauce.

• 400 gm (2 cups) jasmine rice, rinsed well
  
• 4 pieces pandan (screw pine) leaves
  
• 4 cloves garlic, skin on and smashed
  
• 5 centimeters piece ginger, sliced into 3 pieces
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
  Chili Dressing
  
• 5 long red chillies, finely chopped
  
• ¼ cup (firmly packed) coriander, finely chopped
  
• ½ cup thinly sliced spring onion, plus extra to serve
  
• 1 tablespoons black vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  
• 5 grams (1 centimeter piece) ginger, shredded
  
  White Cut Chicken
  
• 1 whole chicken
  
• 250 milliliters Shaoxing wine
  
• 20 grams (4 centimeters piece) ginger, sliced
  
• 3 stalks spring onion
  
• 4 pieces dried orange peel or dried mandarin peel
  
• 1 cinnamon quill
  
• 2 star anise
  
• 50 gm rock sugar
  
• kosher salt to taste
  
• a handful of coriander for garnish
  
  Dressing Sauce
  
• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons broth from cooking chicken

Cook the chicken: Bring a pot filled with water enough to cover the chicken to the boil, add chicken and remaining ingredients, cook over medium heat, skimming surface occasionally, until cooked through (20-30 minutes).

Remove the chicken and plunge it into an ice bath for 5 minutes. Drain and let stand while cooking the rice and making the dressings.

Cook the rice: Place the pot of a rice cooker on medium high heat. Melt the butter and fry the ginger and garlic slightly. Add the rice and fry for a minute. Remove from heat and place pot into cooker. Add enough broth from cooking the chicken for cooking the rice and the pandan leaves.

Once cooked keep warm for 20 minutes before fluffing the rice. Remove the pandan leaves, ginger and garlic.

To serve: Mix all the chili dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl and drizzle onto the chicken. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onion and some coriander. Divide rice among serving bowls. Serve with the remaining chicken broth.

Related Posts:

Hakka Salted Steamed Chicken (客家盐鸡)

Brine-Roasted Turkey with Gravy

Rendang Ayam Pedas (Spicy Dry Chicken Curry)