Hainanese Chicken Rice

Name: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 250 g chicken leg quarter; 1.5 tsp fine salt; 35 g fresh ginger; 3 cloves garlic; 2 spring onions; 1 pandan leaf; 75 g jasmine rice; 2 tsp chicken fat or groundnut oil; 1 tsp groundnut oil; 0.5 tsp sesame oil; 2 tsp light soy sauce; 0.5 tsp dark soy sauce; 2 red chillies; 0.5 lime; 0.5 tsp caster sugar; 60 g cucumber; 2 sprigs coriander; cold water

A whole poached chicken leg served silky and cool over rice cooked in its own golden stock, with the three classic dips: chilli, ginger-scallion and dark soy. A clear bowl of the poaching broth on the side.

Lunch & dinner 25g+ protein 8g+ fibre

60 min20 prep · 40 cookMedium1110 kcalper serving

Method

Rub the 250 g chicken leg all over with 0.5 tsp of the salt, working it into the skin, then rinse under cold water and pat dry. This scours the skin so it poaches clean and taut.
Sit the chicken in a small deep saucepan with 20 g of the ginger, sliced, 1 garlic clove, crushed, and 1 spring onion, bruised and folded in half. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 cm and bring slowly to the first shiver of a simmer, skimming any scum. Hold at 80-85C, never bubbling, for 25 minutes, then take the pan off the heat and let the chicken stand in the liquid a further 10 minutes; a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh should run clear and read 75C.
Lift the chicken into a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes to set the skin into jelly, then drain, pat dry and brush with 0.5 tsp of sesame oil. Strain 200 ml of the poaching stock, skimming the golden fat from the top and saving it for the rice.
Rinse 75 g of jasmine rice until the water runs almost clear and drain well. In a small heavy pan melt 2 tsp of chicken fat over medium heat, fry 5 g of finely minced ginger and 1 finely minced garlic clove for 30 seconds until fragrant but not coloured, add the rice and toast 2 minutes until the grains turn chalky and smell nutty.