Hainanese Chicken
Transport your taste buds to the heart of Southeast Asia with this authentic Hainanese Chicken recipe—a comforting, aromatic dish that’s beloved across the world. Featuring tender poached chicken infused with ginger and scallion, served atop fragrant jasmine rice cooked in rich homemade chicken stock, this dish epitomizes simplicity and elegance. The chicken is chilled in an ice bath for velvety skin, while a touch of sesame oil provides a subtle nutty finish. Garnished with crisp cucumber, cilantro, and lime wedges, and paired with a bowl of flavorful broth, each bite is a harmony of freshness and umami. Perfect for family dinners, this recipe offers a wholesome, restaurant-quality meal at home. Keywords: Hainanese Chicken, poached chicken, jasmine rice, Southeast Asian comfort food.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 about 3-4 pounds Whole chicken
- 3 tablespoons Salt
- 4 slices Ginger
- 4 stalks Scallions
- 2 cups Uncooked jasmine rice
- 2 tablespoons Chicken fat
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 sliced Cucumber
- 0.5 cup Cilantro
- 4 Lime wedges
- 10 cups Water
Instructions
Thoroughly clean the whole chicken under running water and rub the skin with 2 tablespoons of salt to exfoliate and clean. Rinse the chicken again and set aside.
In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 slices of ginger and 2 stalks of scallions.
Carefully lower the chicken into the boiling water, ensuring it is fully submerged, and bring the water back up to a gentle boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the chicken poach for about 40-50 minutes with the lid partially on. Skim off any foam or impurities floating on the surface.
To check if the chicken is done, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. It should read at least 165°F (75°C).
Remove the chicken from the pot and immediately place it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and help the skin firm up.
Reserve the chicken stock from the pot as this will be used to cook the rice and can be served as soup.
For the rice, heat 2 tablespoons of chicken fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining ginger slices and chopped garlic, sautéing until fragrant.
Stir in the uncooked jasmine rice, making sure it's well coated in the chicken fat and aromatics.
Add 4 cups of the reserved chicken stock to the rice. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and fragrant.
Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the ice bath, pat it dry, and rub it all over with sesame oil. Chop into serving pieces.
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce with a little ginger juice from ginger squeezed from the poaching broth.
To serve, place a portion of rice on a plate, top with chicken pieces, and drizzle with the soy sauce mixture.
Garnish with sliced cucumber, cilantro, and serve with lime wedges and a small bowl of the chicken broth as a soup accompaniment.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2082 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 69.2 g | 89% | |
| Saturated Fat | 16.8 g | 84% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 11.8 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 102 mg | 34% | |
| Sodium | 23174 mg | 1008% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 310.6 g | 113% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.9 g | 32% | |
| Total Sugars | 3.5 g | ||
| Protein | 57.2 g | 114% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 297 mg | 23% | |
| Iron | 8.9 mg | 49% | |
| Potassium | 1092 mg | 23% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
