Hainanese chicken rice

• 1.5 kg Chicken (whole, free-range if possible)
  Swaps (2)
• 3 tablespoons Soy sauce (light)
  Swaps (1)
• 6 cloves Garlic (4 chopped for the rice and 2 for the chilli sauce)
• Salt (for rubbing the chicken and seasoning the stock, rice and sauces)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (4 for the ginger sauce and 2 for the rice if the chicken fat isn't enough)
• 120 g Ginger (fresh: 60 g sliced for the stock, the rest grated for the rice and sauces)
• 4 u Red Chilli (long, fleshy ones, stalks removed)
• 1 handful Coriander (fresh)
• 3 u Lime (2 juiced for the chilli sauce and 1 cut into wedges to serve)
  Swaps (1)
• 6 u Spring Onions (3 whole for the stock and 3 finely chopped for the sauce)
• 400 g Jasmine Rice
• 1 u Cucumber (sliced)
• 2 teaspoons Sesame Seed Oil
• 2 leaves Pandan Leaves (knotted) (optional)
• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce (thick and slightly sweet, or kecap manis)
  Swaps (1)
• 2 kg Ice (for the ice bath)
• 3.5 l Water (or enough to cover the chicken)

Instructions

1. 1

   Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes beforehand. Pull off the pieces of fat near the cavity opening and the neck and set them aside for the rice. Rub the whole skin with a handful of salt, as if exfoliating it, rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry.

   10 min

2. 2

   Put the water in a pot large enough to hold the chicken submerged, with the ginger slices, the 3 whole spring onions and a tablespoon of salt, and bring to the boil. Holding the chicken by the legs, lower it in and lift it out three times, so the hot water fills the cavity and the temperature evens out inside and out.

   15 min

3. 3

   Leave it submerged, breast side down, wait for the water to start trembling again and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and poach without letting it boil, with just the odd bubble, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74 °C.

   40 min

4. 4

   Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water and plenty of ice. Transfer the chicken to the ice bath and leave it for 15 minutes, turning it once. Drain, pat dry and brush with a little of the sesame oil. Keep the stock hot over the lowest heat.

   15 min

5. 5

   Wash the rice, changing the water until it runs almost clear, and leave it to drain well. Melt the reserved chicken fat in a wok or pan over a low heat, remove the crisp bits and top up with vegetable oil if you have less than two tablespoons. Fry the chopped garlic and a tablespoon of grated ginger until fragrant but not browned, then add the rice and stir for 2 or 3 minutes, until the grains are glossy.

   15 min

6. 6

   Transfer the rice to a pan (or rice cooker) with 600 ml of the strained stock, half a teaspoon of salt and the pandan leaves. Bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to rest, covered, for another 10 minutes.

   27 min

7. 7

   For the chilli sauce, blitz the chillies with the remaining 2 garlic cloves, a teaspoon of grated ginger, the juice of 2 limes, the sugar, a pinch of salt and 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot stock until you have a sauce with a little texture.

   5 min

8. 8

   For the ginger sauce, mix the rest of the grated ginger, the chopped spring onion and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil until it just starts to smoke and pour it over: it will sizzle and release all its aroma.

   5 min

9. 9

   Mix the light soy sauce with 3 tablespoons of stock and the rest of the sesame oil. Carve the chicken: take off the legs and breasts and cut them into slices a finger thick, on or off the bone. Serve the rice with the chicken on top, drizzled with the soy mixture, alongside the cucumber, coriander and lime wedges, the three sauces (chilli, ginger and dark soy) in small bowls and, if you like, a cup of hot stock.

   10 min