Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is the first time I tried something really challenging, Hainanese Chicken rice, a well known Chinese dish. Hainanese Chicken rice is a Singaporean dish which my husband used to often have during his bachelor days. He told me that it is one of his favourite cuisine and asked me if I could try it at home. I tried it yesterday for the dinner which came out really well, only that the soup was little salty because I wanted the chicken to absorb enough salt when its boiling in the soup. To make this buy either a free range or an organic chicken as it would be tastier. Whole chicken is traditionally used to make it, but I have used chicken thighs for convenience as cutting the whole chicken would be a real hurdle.

Ingredients

Chicken:                 

2 Chicken thighs (Boneless and skinless)                  

2 Spring Onions

5 Ginger pieces sliced

3-4 crushed Garlic cloves

Coriander leaves (handful) 

1 tsp Salt

Dark Soya sauce

20 Ice cubes

Rice:

1 1/4 cup rice  ( Serves 2) Soaked for 15 minutes

2 tsp Cooking oil (Vegetable oil/ Sunflower oil)

1 tsp Sesame oil

1 inch ginger minced

2-3 garlic cloves minced

2 cup chicken stock

salt

Chilli Sauce:

8 Red chillies ( deseeded)

1 inch ginger

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp Sugar

Salt

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chicken stock

Blend all the ingredients to make the hot chilli sauce. Add chillies according to how hot you want it to be.

Ginger Sauce:

2 inch ginger

6 garlic cloves

2 tbsp chicken stock

Salt

Blend all the ingredients to make the ginger sauce. Add water or chicken stock accordingly.

Directions - How to make

Clean the chicken thighs and remove any fat attached to it. Rub the skin with little salt to remove any dead skin. Wash it in running water and keep aside. Meanwhile boil water in a vessel  along with  ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and spring onions. Add little salt. Once the water comes to a boil add the chicken thighs to it. Make sure the chicken is immersed well in the water. Cook it covered for 20 minutes. Insert a knife into the flesh, if the juice runs out clear it means its cooked. Take off and quickly put it in a vessel full of  cold water. Add the ice cubes. Adding the chicken to the cold water makes the flesh tender. After 30 minutes remove the chicken and cut it into strips carefully.

Do not throw away the chicken water. That is the chicken stock that is used throughout and is also the soup which is served along with the rice.

For the rice, place the cooker on the stove. Heat the oil. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Do not let it brown. Add a tsp of sesame oil. Add the soaked rice immdiately. Mix them well. Add two cups of chicken stock to it. Once it starts boiling close the lid. Cook the rice for two whistles.

Prepare the chilli sauce and the ginger sauce with the chicken stock. The remaining stock can be reheated to make the hot soup by adding fresh spring onions to it.

Serve the Hainanese chicken rice with chilli sauce, ginger sauce and dark soy sauce. Garnish with sliced cucumber and tomatoes. Have this along with the delicious soup.