Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is so common in Singapore that I hardly have a craving for it back home. However, now that we are thousands of miles from home, the food that we often take for granted comes into our mind once in a while.

Drizzle with soya sauce / sesame oil before eating

Steep chicken in hot water and immerse in ice bath after cooking

Here's how I do it (the easy way):

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 4lb)

thumb size garlic, bruised

stalks of spring onion (optional, I didn't use it as I don't have it at home)

salt

Method

1. Sprinkle salt generously over chicken and give it a good scrub. This removes any impurities and makes the chicken looks nice and clean. Rinse well. 

2. Fill a pot with water just enough to cover the chicken. Bring it to boil.

3. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt all over. Remember to season the cavity of the chicken too. After this is done, insert the bruised ginger and spring onion bundle into the cavity. 

4. Insert the chicken (breast side down) gently into the water when it has come to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot. Steep the chicken for 40 - 45 mins. (This helps to maintain the tenderness of the chicken while keeping the skin intact). 

5. To test whether it is cooked, insert a tester (I used the pointed end of a kitchen thermometer) into the thickest part of the chicken away from the bone. The chicken is cooked if clear juices run out. If it's bloody, the chicken is not cooked yet and you have to let it steep for a couple more mins. 

6. Remove chicken from pot when it is cooked and immerse it gently into an ice bath (ice and cold water in a deep basin). Let it sit for 15mins. I usually leave it in the ice bath (refreshing it with cold tap water) till I'm ready to eat it. 

7. Chop it up, serve with chilled cucumbers and enjoy!

Usually 1 whole chicken is too much for us so I'll often keep some of the breast meat aside to prepare a simple shredded chicken porridge for lunch the next day using the chicken broth from steeping of the chicken.