Hainanese Chicken Rice

A much quicker and easier version of the beloved classic. Poached chicken and fragrant rice are cooked in chicken broth flavoured with spring onion and ginger. Comforting, satisfying and totally family-friendly.

Ingredients

Chicken and Broth

• 1 whole free-range chicken
• 2 spring onions (scallions) whole, tops removed
• 2 tsp chicken stock powder (bouillon)
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 60 ml Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil, plus extra to taste
• 1 tsp tamari or all-purpose soy sauce, plus extra to taste
• ¼ green cabbage, roughly sliced

Rice

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 200 g jasmine rice
• 375 ml chicken stock

Spring Onion Sauce

• 4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Chilli Sauce

• 4 bird’s eye chillies
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• ½ tsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp of the chicken poaching liquid

To Serve

• 1 sliced cucumber
• 1 bunch coriander (cilantro)
• 125 ml store-bought kecap manis

Method

1. Rinse the chicken and place it in a large pot. Cover with water so that the chicken is submerged by at least 2 cm.

2. Add the whole spring onions, chicken stock powder, grated ginger, garlic cloves and Chinese cooking wine.

3. Cook over high heat and, once the soup comes to the boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, put the lid on slightly ajar and simmer for 1–1½ hours.

4. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside in a small bowl. Drizzle with the sesame oil and tamari. Cover with foil to keep it warm. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

5. Add the cabbage to the poaching liquid and cook for 5–8 minutes until soft.

6. For the rice: heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Immediately add the rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour into a rice cooker, add the chicken stock and cook as per instructions.

7. For the spring onion sauce: combine the spring onion, salt, ginger and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.

8. For the chilli sauce: blend the chilli, garlic, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, sugar and chicken poaching liquid until smooth.

9. Cut the chicken into quarters and serve with the rice, sliced cucumber, coriander, spring onion sauce and chilli sauce. Drizzle with kecap manis.

Tips

• Refrigerate the chicken, rice and soup separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
• To make kecap manis in the microwave: add tamari and sugar to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 3 minutes, stopping to stir once halfway through. Continue heating in 1-minute bursts until thick and sticky.