Hainan Chicken Rice

Sorry, I forgot to include the pickle in the photo

I felt like having Hainanese Chicken Rice for dinner but I didn’t want to order for delivery. Many restaurants don’t get it right; well, I’m judging them by my dad’s recipe, which to me is the gold standard, because that’s how he would make it, considering I can claim Malaysian Chinese for my heritage, and I AM half Hainanese! 

So I decided to get the ingredients delivered and make my own. It’s really not that hard; it’s just that I don’t normally feel like cooking. This is a slightly different version from what I had previously made. This one uses chicken fat. One thing I cannot do is cut up the chicken as prettily as restaurants do since I don’t have a cleaver, but the taste is what I remember. I like basmati rice, so the rice isn't "authentic."

Ginger Scallion Dip

• 2 tblsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tblsp chopped scallion
• 2 tblsp vegetable oil
• salt, to taste

Spicy Dip

• 1/4 cup Sambal Olek (yes, it came from a jar)

Sweet Pickle

• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tblsp salt
• 1 cup white wine vinegar 

Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, uncut

Broth

• 1/2 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1” fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup fresh mustard greens, roughly chopped 

Rice

• fat from chicken + vegetable oil if necessary
• 1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 cup white basmati rice, rinsed and drained

SWEET PICKLE

1. Combine sugar and salt with vinegar until sugar has completely dissolved. Add cucumber. 
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

CHICKEN

1. Remove fat from chicken and set the fat aside. 
2. Put chicken in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover. Heat until just boiling, then turn off the heat. 
3. Take the chicken out and rinse it in cold water and throw away the liquid. 
4. Rinse the pot and put in the same amount of cold water. Add onion, ginger, carrot and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. 
5. Add the whole chicken. Cover and turn off the heat. Wait 30 minutes. 
6. Take the chicken out and heat the broth until boiling. Put the chicken in. Cover and turn off the heat. Wait 30 minutes. Take out the chicken. 
7. Shock the chicken to stop the cooking process and bring it to room temperature, then cut into small pieces. 
8. Bring remaining chicken broth to a boil. 
9. Add mustard greens to the broth and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

RICE

1. Heat chicken fat until hot until rendered.  Add enough vegetable oil to make 2 tblsp of cooking fat.
2. Sauté ginger and garlic for a couple of minutes until fragrant. 
3. Add rice and sauté until slightly translucent. Add 1 2/3 cup of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover slightly and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. 
4. Turn the heat off and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Fluff before serving.