Hainanese Chicken Rice with Ginger-Chilli Sauce
Singaporean dinner for one, on the table in 42 minutes.
Per portion
Calories from protein 23%, carbs 44%, fat 33%. Estimated from the ingredients.
Roughly £2.30 a portion.
Method
- 1
Put the chicken, half the ginger (sliced and bashed) and the garlic into a small pan, cover with the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Poach for 15–18 minutes until cooked through (75°C in the thickest part), then remove the chicken and rest.
- 2
Skim a little fat from the poaching liquid and use it to fry the rice for 1 minute, then add 150 ml of the hot poaching liquid, bring back to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 12–15 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Keep the rest of the liquid hot to serve as a little broth. Cooking for more? Once it boils, let it bubble uncovered for 2–3 minutes before you cover it, and allow a few minutes longer: keep it covered until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- 3
Meanwhile, finely grate the remaining ginger, mix with the chilli, sesame oil, soy sauce and a squeeze of lime to make the dipping sauce, keeping back a wedge of the lime to serve.
- 4
Season to taste, then slice the chicken and serve on the rice, scattered with the spring onion, with the cucumber, lime wedge and dipping sauce on the side.
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/hainanese-chicken-rice-with-ginger-chilli-sauce/
