Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice

Another of our family's favourite chinese dish:  Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice. This dish is of chinese origin and is widely available in Singapore and Malaysia.  The following recipe is a compilation of various recipes to reach the certain authenticity in taste which is comparable to those found in these countries.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 1½ kg)
1 tbsp ginger juice (from grated ginger)
1 tbsp black soy sauce (thick)
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp five spice powder

Rice ingredients:

450 g uncooked jasmine rice (rinsed)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tbsp oil
10 cloves garlic (leave skin on)
1 bunch of pandan leaves (if not available, it is okay without)
700 ml chicken stock (taken from soup ingredients)
1 tsp salt
ginger piece from the soup ingredients
1 tbsp chicken stock granules

Soup ingredients:

1 chicken leg (to make soup)
2 cm fresh ginger, crushed
1½ litres (about 6 cups) water
3 tsp chicken stock granules

Garnishing:

1 cucumber, peeled, halved and slantly sliced
3 tomatoes, washed and sliced
2 sprigs coriander leaves

Chilli sauce:

90 g red chillies
15 g garlic
50 g fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
60 g limes
50 ml chicken stock (taken from soup)

Extra Sauce ingredients (optional) – all to be mixed together:

90 ml chicken stock (taken from soup)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tsp sesame oil
1½ tsp sugar
3 tsp shallot oil

Method:
Trim the fat from chicken, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the ginger juice, soy sauce, honey, salt, pepper and five spice powder together. Then, rub this mixture all over the chicken. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat conventional (no fan) oven to 200º C (400º F). Place chicken in a roasting pan with rack and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 170º C (350º F) and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the skin is brown and crisp. If the chicken turned brown before the time is up, cover the chicken with aluminium foil (with the shiny side up) to avoid it getting black and burned. Always check the chicken in the oven. The chicken is cooked if the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes, then cut into serving portions.

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the soup. Place all ingredients into a big pot and bring to boil. Simmer until the chicken is tender.

Heat oil in a pot. Stir-fry chopped shallots and garlic till fragrant. Add the rice and stir well. Pour the mixture into a rice cooker. Add chicken stock, seasonings, whole garlic cloves, pandan leaves and piece of crushed ginger. Cook until rice is done.

Rinse the red chillies and wipe dry. Skin the ginger and garlic. Juice the lime. Blend the red chillies, ginger and garlic in a blender till fine. Add sugar, salt, lime juice and chicken stock. Stir well.  Adjust seasonings to one's taste.

Note: The extra sauce would normally be served by sprinkling on white Hainanese chicken. When serving roasted chicken, just place it in a bowl on the side.

To serve: Arrange tomato and cucumber slices on a platter. Place serving portions of chicken on top and decorate with sprigs of coriander leaves.

Bon Appetit!