Hainan chicken rice

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 chicken, approx. 1.5 kg
• 2 spring onions
• 2 slice(s) ginger, about 1 cm thick
• Oil (sesame oil), for rubbing in
• 300g basmati
• 3 tbsp oil (peanut oil)
• 1 slice(s) of ginger, about 1 cm thick
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
• Salt
• 4 chili peppers, red, fresh, crushed
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
• 4 limes, the juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 cucumber(s), halved, sliced
• 4 spring onions, sliced ​​into fans
• 4 tomatoes, sliced
• Parsley or coriander leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

Clean and dry the chicken inside and out. Place one slice of ginger inside the chicken’s body, and the other slice of ginger along with the spring onions in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. When the water boils, add the chicken so that it is completely submerged. Do not cover the pot. Bring the water back to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the chicken simmer for about 20 minutes. The chicken should be a soft pink and still moist. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and rub it with sesame oil. Once it has cooled, remove the meat from the bones and cut it into serving pieces. Pour the chicken broth through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. To cook the rice, heat the peanut oil and sauté the ginger and garlic. Once the ginger and garlic have released their aroma into the oil, remove them and sauté the rice in the hot fat until translucent. Then add one and a half times as much liquid (chicken broth) as rice. Add salt and cook at low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry. For the chili sauce, thoroughly mix the ingredients (4 chilies to ginger). This sauce can be made in advance and will keep in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for a few days. If you don’t have fresh chilies, use sambal oelek and add just the grated ginger and the juice of one lime. To serve, reheat the chicken stock, season with salt, and add a garnish of Chinese greens and chopped spring onions. To serve, arrange the chicken on a large platter on a bed of cucumber slices, drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil, and garnish with the tomatoes, spring onions, and parsley or cilantro. Serve with rice and chicken stock and a well-chilled, fruity rosé wine.