This chicken rice recipe differs from others in that it calls for injection brining then sous-vide. These steps will result in the most tender chicken you have ever tasted.
The observant will note that I have not provided recipes for the traditional dipping sauces. I of course make my own, but it is much easier to simply buy the sauces from a Chinese grocer.
History
Hainanese Chicken Rice, despite its name, has its roots in South-East Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). In Hainan it is called "Wenchang Chicken" and the basic poached chicken recipe is also found in other parts of China, called "White Cut Chicken". The recipe for Hainanese chicken rice was developed in Malaysia and Singapore by migrant Hainanese chefs, which is probably how it got its name. Nevertheless the dish has been exported back to Hainan.
There are two main styles of HCR - Malaysian and Singaporean. The Singaporean version has more savoury rice and tend to use a softer type of chicken with a less intense flavour. Malaysian HCR uses rice which is more plain. The chicken tends to be "kampung chicken" (village chicken) which is skinnier but has a more intense chicken flavour. Malaysians and Singaporeans think the other version is inferior.
I myself prefer the HCR rice in Singapore but prefer Malaysian chicken. Since you can't get kampung chicken here, I had to boost the flavour of the chicken by other means (see below).
INGREDIENTS (feeds 4)
- 2kg free range chicken
- 1.5kg "boiling chicken" (i.e. a retired egg hen) - usually sold for very cheap in Chinese butchers
- 200gm ginger
- 25gm goji berries
- 1/2 a Chinese cabbage (Wombok)
- 200mL Chinese cooking wine
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 dried konbu leaves (optional)
- soy sauce
- black sesame oil
- 1 bunch of spring onion
- 1 cucumber (as garnish)
- 4 cups of rice
- 6 pandan leaves
Special equipment needed:
- needle and syringe (or brine injecting set)
- sous-vide PID controller
- weighing scales
- large stock pot
- rice cooker
METHOD
First, make the stock. Chop the boiling chicken into pieces then cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. This step will purge the scum. As soon as the water boils, fish the chicken out and rinse. Discard the boiling water.
In a clean saucepan, add the blanched boiling chicken pieces, 8 cabbage leaves, 100gm ginger, 25gm goji berries, the cooking wine, all the garlic (reserving 2 cloves), and the konbu leaves with 6L water. Bring to the boil then simmer for an hour.
Next, prepare the chicken. Remove the wishbone and the fat from the cavity. Reserve the fat for use later. Weigh out 15% of the weight of the chicken in stock (for a 2kg chicken, that is 300mL stock). Add 15% of the weight of the chicken in salt to the stock (for a 2kg chicken, that is 15gm salt) to make a brine. Inject the brine thoroughly into the chicken as per this video. Tie a piece of twine through the chicken cavity to help you lift it out of the stock later. Leave in the fridge for 3 hours for the brine to equilibrate, removing the chicken 1 hour before cooking.
Strain the chicken stock prepared earlier and heat to 62C using a PID controller. Sous-vide the chicken for 90 minutes, making sure that the temperature reaches at least 61C in the thickest part of the chicken (the thigh) using a probe thermometer.
Reserve. Prepare the rice.
Thoroughly wash the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Heat up a wok over low heat. Add the chicken fat from the interior and render the fat, about 5 minutes. Discard the fat. Mince two cloves of garlic then add to the chicken oil and fry until clear. Add all the rice and toast until rice no longer appears wet (about 5 minutes).
Transfer to a rice cooker, then add 4 1/2 cups of stock. Tie up the pandan leaves and mix. Cook the rice.
Once the rice is cooked, the dish can be served.
Slice the cucumber and mound it on a bowl. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a bowl. Drizzle soy sauce on top.
Bring the stock to the boil and adjust the seasonings. Cut 1 wombok leaf per soup bowl and place the raw slices in the bowl (the hot soup will cook it perfectly, leaving your veggies still crunchy).
If preparing stir-fried veggies (a traditional accompaniment to the dish), do it now.
Serve the dish:
The observant will note that I have not provided recipes for the traditional dipping sauces. I of course make my own, but it is much easier to simply buy the sauces from a Chinese grocer.
History
Hainanese Chicken Rice, despite its name, has its roots in South-East Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). In Hainan it is called "Wenchang Chicken" and the basic poached chicken recipe is also found in other parts of China, called "White Cut Chicken". The recipe for Hainanese chicken rice was developed in Malaysia and Singapore by migrant Hainanese chefs, which is probably how it got its name. Nevertheless the dish has been exported back to Hainan.
There are two main styles of HCR - Malaysian and Singaporean. The Singaporean version has more savoury rice and tend to use a softer type of chicken with a less intense flavour. Malaysian HCR uses rice which is more plain. The chicken tends to be "kampung chicken" (village chicken) which is skinnier but has a more intense chicken flavour. Malaysians and Singaporeans think the other version is inferior.
I myself prefer the HCR rice in Singapore but prefer Malaysian chicken. Since you can't get kampung chicken here, I had to boost the flavour of the chicken by other means (see below).
INGREDIENTS (feeds 4)
- 2kg free range chicken
- 1.5kg "boiling chicken" (i.e. a retired egg hen) - usually sold for very cheap in Chinese butchers
- 200gm ginger
- 25gm goji berries
- 1/2 a Chinese cabbage (Wombok)
- 200mL Chinese cooking wine
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 dried konbu leaves (optional)
- soy sauce
- black sesame oil
- 1 bunch of spring onion
- 1 cucumber (as garnish)
- 4 cups of rice
- 6 pandan leaves
Special equipment needed:
- needle and syringe (or brine injecting set)
- sous-vide PID controller
- weighing scales
- large stock pot
- rice cooker
METHOD
First, make the stock. Chop the boiling chicken into pieces then cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil. This step will purge the scum. As soon as the water boils, fish the chicken out and rinse. Discard the boiling water.
In a clean saucepan, add the blanched boiling chicken pieces, 8 cabbage leaves, 100gm ginger, 25gm goji berries, the cooking wine, all the garlic (reserving 2 cloves), and the konbu leaves with 6L water. Bring to the boil then simmer for an hour.
Next, prepare the chicken. Remove the wishbone and the fat from the cavity. Reserve the fat for use later. Weigh out 15% of the weight of the chicken in stock (for a 2kg chicken, that is 300mL stock). Add 15% of the weight of the chicken in salt to the stock (for a 2kg chicken, that is 15gm salt) to make a brine. Inject the brine thoroughly into the chicken as per this video. Tie a piece of twine through the chicken cavity to help you lift it out of the stock later. Leave in the fridge for 3 hours for the brine to equilibrate, removing the chicken 1 hour before cooking.
Strain the chicken stock prepared earlier and heat to 62C using a PID controller. Sous-vide the chicken for 90 minutes, making sure that the temperature reaches at least 61C in the thickest part of the chicken (the thigh) using a probe thermometer.
Reserve. Prepare the rice.
Thoroughly wash the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Heat up a wok over low heat. Add the chicken fat from the interior and render the fat, about 5 minutes. Discard the fat. Mince two cloves of garlic then add to the chicken oil and fry until clear. Add all the rice and toast until rice no longer appears wet (about 5 minutes).
Transfer to a rice cooker, then add 4 1/2 cups of stock. Tie up the pandan leaves and mix. Cook the rice.
Once the rice is cooked, the dish can be served.
Slice the cucumber and mound it on a bowl. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a bowl. Drizzle soy sauce on top.
Bring the stock to the boil and adjust the seasonings. Cut 1 wombok leaf per soup bowl and place the raw slices in the bowl (the hot soup will cook it perfectly, leaving your veggies still crunchy).
If preparing stir-fried veggies (a traditional accompaniment to the dish), do it now.
Serve the dish:
