Hainese Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is one of my favorite Malaysian food. It's also one of my son's favourite as well, mainly because there is always chicken rice in every food court we visit and he can always enjoy a meal out.  I think this is originally known as Hainese chicken rice, a recipe which made itself home in Malaysia.
 The chicken is first cooked in water and then the stock or liquid that the chicken was cooked in is used to cook the rice, and the remaining liquid is used a  side dish to mix with your rice or sip along as you eat it with the cooked chicken, and a garlicky chilli sauce and cucumber slices. I tried different recipes of Chicken Rice and finally found a satisfying recipe given to me by a good friend of mine, who in turn had gotten it from a Malaysian friend of hers. I  have changed certain things like the chilli sauce as I couldn't find mild red chillis here, so to get the bright red colour of the chilli sauce, I used a red bell pepper instead.

Recipe : Chicken Rice ( serves 4-6 persons)

 For the chicken

1 whole chicken, skin on
6 cloves of garlic, grated. 
1-inch piece ginger, grated

1/4 piece onion, roughly chopped

1 ( 12 inch)pandan, knotted

1 chicken stock cube

Water

1 tbsp light soy sauce

To finish the chicken : 

1/2 cup stock from pan,

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

a few drops of sesame oil

Rice:

2 cups long-grain rice or basmati rice
2 1/4 cups stock from the liquid the chicken is cooked
2-star anise
1 pandan leaf ( cut into big pieces), about 14-inch piece

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 thin slices of ginger, 
2-3 tbsp oil

Chilli sauce
2 hot chillies ( red)
1/2  red bell pepper ( deseeded and white pit removed)
1  thin slice of ginger

4 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup of chicken stock from the pan.
salt

Finely sliced spring onion,(optional)
A few slices of cucumber( to serve)
Some steamed vegetables such as broccoli, broccolini, or Chinese greens such as kailan, or bok choy(to serve)

Step 1: Prepare the chicken :

 Clean chicken, leave the skin on but trim the extra fat.  Season with salt and rub the grated 8 cloves of garlic and ginger.
Place chicken inside a large pot or a stockpot, Pour water about 6-7 cups of water season with a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer gently till the chicken is tender. ( tender not tough!!), about 30- 45 mins.
Once cooked, remove the chicken.  Let the chicken rest on a plate.
Strain the stock adjust salt and add soy sauce and adjust the taste to your liking.


Step 2 : Rice

Wash rice several times till the water runs clear, soak in water for 30 minutes. Heat a saucepan and add oil, stir fry star anise, ginger garlic and pandan leaves till they release their aroma.
Add rice and stir fry for 1 minute then add 2 1/4 cups stock, bring to a boil, then simmer till the stock is absorbed and the rice is nice and fluffy. Fluff it up.

Step 3: Chilli sauce
Place the red bell pepper, chillies, lime juice, remaining ginger and garlic cloves in a blender along with the stock from which the chicken was cooked and blend to a smooth paste. Taste and sugar and salt and then pulse once then taste adjust taste to your liking.

Step 4: Final touch : 

Joint the chicken, and arrange it on a serving platter. Mix 1/2 cup stock, light and dark soy sauces and sesame oil and drizzle it over the chicken. Sprinkle some coriander and spring onion of available.

To Serve,
Place a   bowlful of rice, and sprinkle some spring onions on top if using. Arrange the chicken on one side, the steamed vegetables at another along with a couple of slices of cucumber. Serve with the remaining stock and chilli sauce. Yummm!!!

One of my favourite chicken rice haunts is a  restaurant chain known as the " The Chicken Rice Shop". They serve very delicious chicken rice, and the places are clean and have good kiddie-set meal with smaller size portion.