Passport & Plate - Hainanese Chicken Rice: the condiments will fix it
Singapore | Wednesday, February 12, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
1 whole chicken or free-range chicken (or whole leg)
2 cups of rice
3 big piece of ginger (half and half, one part is sliced and the other is finely minced)
3 big piece red chili (minced)
1 whole onion and onion spring
3 tablespoon of orange juice (any type)
1 chicken broth cube
Dark soy sauce
Olive or vegetable oil
Salt
Sugar
Oyster sauce (optional)
Vinegar
How to prepare this recipe1. Stash the onion, onion spring and sliced ginger in the chicken cavity and bring to a boil fully submerged. If you are going to use whole leg, just place the ginger, onions in the water. Avoid turning and poking to prevent skin peel. Once cooked, immediately submerge in ice-cold water to tighten the skin and prevent damage to the cooked meat. Also to create a layer of gelatinous fat between the skin and meat. This will be crucial in determining the tenderness of the chicken. Set aside the chicken stock. After 5-10 minutes, drain the chicken and set aside.
2. Lessen the boiled water (4-6 cups) and add chicken broth to strengthen the flavor while boiling. Add a dash of sugar to sweeten it a bit. I like mine with a hint of sweetness. This can be used as a side soup and as water for cooking the fragrant rice.
3. After washing the rice, add 4 cups of the previously boiled chicken stock in a non-stick pan. Cook in medium heat. Reduce heat after boiling.
4. There are three types of condiments:
a. Ginger: Place the finely chopped or minced ginger in a cup and mix with a generous amount of olive oil or vegetable oil. You should see the oil on top of the ginger.
b. Dark soy sauce: This is the thick and more flavored type of soy sauce. If you have regular soy sauce, you can add some sugar or oyster sauce and bring it to a boil to thicken it a bit. Also to add flavor.
c. Chili: Combine the chili, a few tablespoon of vinegar, salt to taste. Add orange juice to your finely chopped chili. This should resemble ‘sambal oelek’ chili. So there you have it. Why is the chicken served in room-temperature? The ice-cold dip plays a vital role in preserving the juice of the meat. The rice will also be hot enough, so don’t worry. In Singapore, every person has their own way of eating it. Some put the ginger on the rice and soy sauce on the chicken. And just small amounts of chili every bite. Some mix the ginger and chili concoction. What I like is a bit of every condiment each bite.
The story behind this recipeI have always been fascinated by the charm of “Hainanese Chicken Rice”. Simple, elegant, yet boasting with flavors. I always thought they were over-rated and bland. But during one of my backpack trips in Singapore, I realized the key factor is fusion of flavors. The combination of chicken, rice and its holy trinity of condiments make your mouth explode with flavor. It’s like a complete full-flavored cake! The spongy, fluffy base topped with matching types of icings. It won’t work if one element is absent. At first glance, especially to those who are used to fried chicken and chicken recipes with roaring colors, the Hainanese chicken looks very “naked”. It is served in room-temperature and the chicken looks as if it wasn’t seasoned at all. I decided to try it at home because the ingredients were readily available in my locality. As a typical Filipino who is fond of different types of condiments, ironically, ginger is one of many local ingredients our cuisine does not fully exploit. My new found appeal to basic, unsophisticated cooking has been kindled. I have been on an eating rampage in Southeast Asia because of this flame. I imagine, based on food articles I have read and cooking shows I watched. Italian cooking has the same beautiful and very basic approach. Simple, elegant, familiar and close to home. Just like what your mother from a different country use to make.
