Hainan Chicken and Rice

Step 1

Rinse and pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Cut off the wing, then cut off the leg quarter. Debone the breast from the carcass. Cut or break the backbone in half, then put the pieces along with the neck and other spare parts into a 4-quart pot. Add the wing and leg quarter, plus the water. Bring to a simmer, then skim off any scum that floats to the top.

Step 2

Add the salt, ginger, garlic, green onion, cilantro. Snuggle the deboned breast into the pot. When the pot returns to a simmer, turn off the heat, make sure the breast is fully submerged (add water if you have to), then cover.

Step 3

The breast should be just done at 25 minutes, and the leg quarter at 40 minutes. They should feel just firm. As each chicken part is cooked, transfer it to a bowl of ice water and let it sit for about 8 minutes to cool down quickly, then transfer to plate if serving soon, or an airtight container if storing in the fridge.

Step 4

After removing the leg from the pot, return it to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes to create a stronger broth. Strain through a muslin or paper towel-lined strainer and set aside or refrigerate.

Step 5

To make the rice, rinse the rice then let it drain in a mesh strainer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a near simmer in a small saucepan, and then cover to keep it hot.

Step 6

In a 3 or 4-quart pot, warm the 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until no longer raw smelling and just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Firmly shake the strainer of rice to expel any hidden water, and then add the rice to the pot. Stir constantly with a large spoon until the grains are opaque white and feel light, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, measure out 2 1/2 cups of hot broth and add the broth. Expect dramatic boiling. Immediately give the pot a big stir, reduce the heat to medium to simmer.

Step 7

Add the salt, and if using, the pandan. Let the rice vigorously simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, until most of the water has been absorbed and the surface looks glossy and thick; small craters/holes may form too. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to firm up and finish cooking. Uncover, fluff with chopsticks or a fork, and then cover. Wait 5 minutes before serving. The rice will stay warm for 30 minutes.

Step 8

While the rice cooks, add the squash cubes to the broth and let it gently cook, partially covered. Turn off the heat after about 10 minutes, when the squash is tender, then cover to keep hot.

Step 9

Meanwhile, make one, two or all of the sauces, and set at the table. Three of the sauces use a food processor and you don’t have to wash the bowl between sauces. For the ginger sauce, put the ginger, salt, oil, and broth into a small food processor and whirl to a fine texture. Transfer to a dipping sauce dish.

Step 10

For the chili sauce, put all the ingredients – both kinds of chiles, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, lime juice and chicken poaching broth, into the small food processor and whirl to a semi-coarse sauce. Transfer to a dipping sauce dish.

Step 11

For the fermented soybean sauce, use the small processor to render the cilantro stems, ginger, fermented soybeans (or miso), vinegar, poaching broth, soy sauce, and honey into a slightly thick sauce. Transfer to a dipping sauce dish and add the chile.

Step 12

For the scallion ginger sauce, in a small microwave safe bowl, combine the green onion, ginger, salt, and oil. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds, or until steamy and bubbly. Let cool to room temperature and set at the table with other sauces.

Step 13

To serve, cut the chicken into slices about 1/4-inch thick, deboning the chicken as needed. Keep the skin for rich, textural contrast, if you like. Arrange the chicken on a plate or atop the rice on individual plates. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Serve the chicken, rice, soup, cucumber, tomato and all the sauces. Fork and spoon are the primary utensils for this dish.