Hainanese chicken rice

Before you start

• bone-in, skin-on thighs — the bones make the stock the rice is cooked in
• a bowl of iced water for the chicken, and a mortar or blender for the chilli sauce

Ingredients

Serves 2 · dimmer marks are storecupboard

• 380gchicken thighs — bone in, skin on
• 140gjasmine rice
• ½ tbspoil
• 1 large thumbginger
• 6spring onions
• 6garlic cloves
• 4chillies
• 1cucumber
• 1lime
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspsesame oil
• 1 handfulcoriander
• to tastesalt

Method

7 steps

1. simmer · 30m walk away

   Chicken into a pan just big enough, covered with cold water with half the ginger, three of the spring onions and plenty of salt, brought slowly up and then held at a bare tremble — never a boil, which tightens the meat and clouds the broth. Done when the juices run clear and there is no pink at the bone.

2. rest · 12m

   Straight into iced water for ten minutes. This stops it cooking and sets the skin into the soft gelatinous layer that is the whole reason for the dish. Every drop of the broth is kept.

3. fry · 6m

   The fat skimmed off the top of the broth into a pan with the oil, the rest of the ginger and the garlic softened in it, then the rinsed and drained rice stirred through until every grain is coated and glossy.

4. boil · 16m walk away

   Broth poured over the rice, a little less than usual, lid on, lowest heat, and left completely alone.

5. blend · 8m

   Chillies, a clove of garlic, a knob of ginger, lime juice, salt and two spoons of the hot broth pounded or blitzed into a loose sauce. Ginger and spring onion pounded with the sesame oil and a pinch of salt for the second one.

6. chop · 6m

   Chicken taken off the bone and cut into thick pieces, cucumber sliced on an angle.

7. finish · 4m

   Rice, chicken over it, cucumber and coriander at the side, soy spooned over the meat, both sauces in little dishes, and a bowl of the remaining broth to drink alongside.