Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hainanese chicken rice is an incredibly tasty dish that hails from Hainan, China. It’s super popular in places like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Singapore, it’s even considered a national dish!
Hainanese chicken rice is all about juicy, tender chicken served with deliciously fragrant rice. The chicken is steamed in the Varoma and seasoned with ginger and spring onions to make it extra flavourful. Once cooked it’s sliced and serve with some tasty sauces.
The rice is no ordinary rice. Its cooked along with the chicken in the Thermomix bowl with ginger, onion and garlic, which gives it an awesome taste and aroma. It’s fluffy, slightly oily, and seriously delicious.
Now, let’s talk sauces, iuse to dip the chicken into, have one or many! Make your own or buy them in.
- Chili Sauce: It’s spicy, tangy, and adds a kick to the dish. Made from red chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and sometimes lime juice.
- Ginger Sauce: This sauce is fragrant and refreshing. It’s made from ginger, garlic, chicken broth, and oil. Goes great with the chicken.
- Dark Soy Sauce: It’s thick, sweet, and savory. You use it for dipping the chicken, and it adds a rich and robust flavor.
- Green sauce: Is made by pounding spring onions and garlic and then made more flavourful when hot oil is poured over it.
To round out the meal, a bowl of chicken broth, the steaming liquid , is served as soup. It’s comforting and tasty and my favourite part!
When you put it all together, Hainanese chicken rice is a complete meal that hits all the right spots. You get the tender chicken, the fragrant rice, flavourful soup and the awesome condiments—it’s a perfect combination of flavours and textures.
It’s simple yet seriously satisfying.
COMPONENTS
There are quite a few components to this dish but don’t be put off. It’s pretty straight forward and definitely worth making when you have a little time to play in the kitchen!
Don’t rush it the first time you make it, enjoy the process.
EXTRA TIPS/IDEAS
- Choose a good quality chicken: Opt for a fresh, plump chicken with tender meat. Free-range or organic chicken can enhance the flavour even more. Don’t be tempted to go bigger, the chicken must fit in the Varoma with the lid on!
- Use aromatics: Add plenty of ginger and spring onions to the cooking liquid or place them inside the chicken cavity. These aromatics infuse the chicken with a fragrant taste.
- Control the cooking time: Avoid overcooking the chicken to maintain its tenderness. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the chicken, but it usually takes around 45-55 minutes for a whole chicken. See notes below.
- Chicken stock for rice: Cook the rice using chicken stock instead of plain water. This imparts a delicious flavour to the rice.
- Fry the rice: After cooking the rice, you can optionally fry it in a bit of oil with minced garlic and ginger. This adds extra fragrance and enhances the taste of the rice.
- Rest and slice: Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This helps to retain the juices and keep the meat moist.
- Serve with fresh garnishes: Accompany the Hainanese chicken with fresh cucumber slices, chilli and a few sprigs of coriander. These garnishes provide a refreshing contrast to the dish.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHICKEN IS COOKED
Determining when a whole chicken is cooked involves a few key indicators. Here are some methods you can use to ensure that a whole chicken is properly cooked:
- Internal temperature: The most reliable way to determine if a chicken is cooked is by checking its internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken’s thigh without touching the bone. The chicken is considered safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C. Remember as it rests, it continues to cook a little.
- Juices: Pierce the thickest part of the chicken (usually the thigh) with a fork or a skewer. If the juices run clear and not pink, it indicates that the chicken is likely cooked. If the juices still appear pink or bloody, continue cooking the chicken until they run clear.
- Thigh and leg joints: Another way to determine if a whole chicken is cooked is by checking the joints. If the thigh and leg joints move easily and the meat is no longer pink near the bone, it is likely cooked. Additionally, the bones should easily separate from the meat.
It’s essential to ensure that the chicken is cooked thoroughly to avoid any potential foodborne illnesses. Remember to sanitize your thermometer before and after use to prevent cross-contamination.
Watch me make it – Facebook live recording
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Equipment
- TM5 or TM6
- Varoma
- Steaming basket
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 1.5 – 1.7kg must fit in Varoma
CHICKEN RUB
- 1 tblsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame oil
STUFFING CHICKEN
- 2 cloves garlic crush with back of knife, skin on
- 2 slices of ginger skin on is fine
- 2 spring onions cut into 3 pieces
RICE
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 slices ginger peeled
- 1 onion small
- 1 tbsp peanut oil or similar high heat oil
- 400g jasmine rice rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ ltr chicken stock
GLAZING SAUCE
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 tsp chicken stock
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp palm sugar
DIPPING SAUCE
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 red chilli long (cayenne)
- 20 grams fresh ginger
- 50 grams white miso paste
- 50 grams palm sugar
- 50 grams soy sauce
- 50 grams rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp white pepper
Instructions
CHICKEN
- Optional but tasty step! Cut of any excess flaps of chicken fat and fry them in a small pan over medium high heat to extract as much chicken fat as you can. Meanwhile, continue with recipe.
- Mix Chicken rub ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over your chicken, inside and out.
- Pop chicken stuffing ingredients inside chicken cavity, fold spring onions to fit.
- Place steaming trivet into Varoma dish and sit chicken on top. If you don't have the trivet, use something to raise the chicken off the base of the Varoma, (a couple of chopsticks?). Cover with Varoma lid and set aside.
RICE AROMATS
- Place 2 cloves peeled garlic, 2 slices of ginger, onion and 1 tbsp peanut oil and the chicken fat (liquid only, eat or discard the crunchy bits), into mixing bowl. Chop 5 secs/speed 7, scrape down and then saute 3 mins/Varoma temp/reverse/speed 2/measuring cup off, steaming basket sitting on lid. Tip into simmering basket and set aside to cool. Do not wash bowl.
STEAMING CHICKEN
- Add 1 Ltr of chicken stock into the Thermomix bowl. Set Varoma with chicken into position and cook 35mins/Varoma temp/speed 3.
COOKING RICE/SOUP
- Carefully remove Varoma and set aside. Top up chicken stock to the 1 ltr mark. Insert simmering basket with onion mixture and add washed rice to simmering basket. Mix well.
- Return Varoma and continue to cook 20 mins/Varoma/Speed 3 or until the chicken and rice are cooked. Let chicken rest for 10 mins before slicing. Keep rice warm in a thermo server
- Strain stock and keep warm as the broth
DIPPING SAUCE
- Add garlic, chilli and ginger to a clean Thermomix bowl and chop 3 secs/speed 5. Scrape down bowl.
- Add remaining dipping sauce ingredients and mix 20secs/speed 9. Taste and adjust to your taste, seasoning with salt, white pepper and sugar as needed. Tip into a small serving bowl and set aside.
GLAZING SAUCE
- Mix all ingredients by hand in a small bowl and use to glaze cooked sliced chicken just before serving.
PLATING
- Slice chicken placing some white and brown chicken meat on each plate, drizzle with glazing sauce.
- Pack some rice into a small bowl and invert onto serving plate with chicken. Top with a little coriander and sliced chilli.
- Add sliced cucumber to serving plate
- Strain stock and place in a small individual serving bowl.
- Plate dipping sauce into small sauce plates.
- Serve and enjoy!