Tuesday 29 July 2008

RECIPE: HAINANESE CHICKEN



The chicken for this dish must be fresh. Although a very simple recipe, the results are excellent.

Ingredients – serves 5 to 6
1 whole chicken – about 1 kg
1 tbsp chinese rice wine
2 to 3 tbsp light soy sauce
Thumb size ginger – sliced thickly
2 to 3 cloves garlic – smashed using the back of a knife
2 spring onions – chopped
2 tsp seaeme oil
½ tsp salt

Method
Rub the inside of the chicken cavity with the rice wine and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce. Stuff the chicken with the ginger, garlic and spring onion. Secure the cavity with a toothpick.

Bring a large pot (enough to hold the chicken) of water to the boil, carefully put in the chicken and turn off the heat. Let stand for 1 hour.

After 5 mins of standing, lift up the chicken, drain the water from the stomach cavity and put the chicken back into the pot. Repeat this process another 2 to 3 times in the ‘standing’ hour. This makes sure that the chicken is cooked inside and outside.

After 30 mins in the ‘standing’ hour, turn on the heat and bring the water almost to a boiling point and turn off the heat again. The chicken, never being allowed to boil, will be very tender and juicy. At the end of the hour, remove the chicken on to a platter and rub with the remaining soy sauce and salt. Leave to stand for about 5 mins and then cut into bite sized pieces. Do not discard the HAINANESE CHICKEN COOKING STOCK. Use it to make the chicken RICE, SOUP and CHILLI GINGER SAUCE.

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