A classic and popular dish loved by many, consisting of silky smooth poached chicken and steamed seasoned rice, and served with chili sauce and thick dark soy sauce.
Servings: 4people
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
1-1.5kgwhole chicken, I personally prefer kampung chicken
Use a pair of tweezers to pull out any excess feather bits. Rub coarse salt generously all over the chicken, including the cavity, scrubbing the chicken skin well to "exfoliate" the chicken. Rinse the salt thoroughly off the chicken.
1-1.5 kg whole chicken, Coarse sea salt
Trim off the excess chicken fat and reserve the fats. Stuff the ginger and spring onion inside the cavity of the chicken. Twist the chicken feet and stuff them into the cavity.
2 inches ginger, 3 stalks spring onions
Place the chicken in a pot such that it is a snug fit. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken and add in salt.
½ tablespoon sea salt
Cover and set it over high heat and bring the water to a simmer. Immediately turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer, and poach the chicken for 20 minutes (the pot is covered). Turn off the heat and let the chicken steep, covered, for another 30 minutes.
Prepare a large bowl of ice water (big enough to hold the chicken). Lift out the chicken carefully (I find it easier to use 2 chopsticks, poke the chicken from underneath the wings and lift it up) and place it in the bowl of ice water. Gently scoop the ice water over the chicken to cool it and to tighten the chicken skin.
Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes, remove the chicken from the ice water and rub sesame oil all over the chicken skin. Set aside to cool completely before chopping the chicken into pieces.
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Reserve stock for rice : Skim off the oil from the soup's surface into a measuring cup. Top up with enough chicken stock to cook the rice.
Soup
Add in napa cabbage, carrot and canned mushrooms. Simmer until cabbage and carrot are soft. Season to taste with salt and ground white pepper.
300-400 grams napa cabbage, 1 large carrot, 1 can whole mushrooms (425g-can), Salt and ground white pepper
Rice
Cut the trimmed chicken fat into small pieces and place it in a pot. Cook over low heat until the fat has been rendered and the pieces of fat turn crispy. Discard the crispy fats. There should be about 3 tablespoons of oil, otherwise top up with other oil like canola or vegetable.
Chicken fat
Add onion, garlic, and ginger into the chicken oil. Cook gently over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is fragrant. Add in the rice and stir to coat the rice with the oil.
1 large red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, 2 rice cooker cups long grain rice
Turn off the heat and transfer rice to a rice cooker pot. Stir in salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, pandan leaves and chicken stock. Cook according to rice cooker's instructions.
Note for stovetop cooking: If cooking the rice on the stove top, you will require more chicken stock. The ratio of chicken stock required will be 1.5 to 2 cups of stock per 1 cup of rice.
Chilli Sauce
Using a pestle and mortar for best results, pound the chilli, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and calamansi zest together into a paste. Stir in calamansi juice.
100 grams big red chilli, 2 bird's eye chili, 2 garlic, 1-2 teaspoon sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, 8 calamansi, ½ inch ginger
Stir in the sesame oil just before serving.
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Alternative: Use an immersion blender to blend everything except sesame oil together.
Note on spiciness: This chili sauce is relatively mild in spiciness. Feel free to use more bird's eye chili as desired. This chili sauce is also great for steamboat.
Finishing
Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce and chicken broth together in a small bowl. Drizzle sauce over the chopped chicken just before serving.