Serves 5-6
CHICKEN
1 large chicken (1.2kg)
Enough water to submerge chicken in large pot
Large bowl of ice and water to hold cooked chicken
4 slices ginger
2 pandan leaves, knotted
2 spring onion
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Pinch of salt
Mix sauce, oils and wine together, and rub all over chicken – inside and out. Rub salt. Stuff chicken cavity with pandan, ginger and spring onion. Set aside to marinade for 30 minutes.
Poaching the chicken:
In a large pot of tap water submerge chicken. Bring to boil and turn chicken over. Reduce to low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Switch off heat, cover pot and keep chicken submerged for another 20 minutes. Reserve chicken stock for cooking rice, for garnish and for chilli sauce. Lift out chicken and place into ice water bath for about 15 minutes. Pat dry cooked chicken and rub all over with a little sesame oil and light soy sauce. Let rest for about 20 minutes till ready to serve and cut into portions.
RICE
3 cups uncooked jasmine rice, washed
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon raw chicken fat from chicken
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
2 garlic, chopped
3 slices ginger
2 pandan leaves, knotted
Pinch of salt
In a little oil, fry garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add this together with the other ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Discard pandan, ginger after cooking.
CHILLI SAUCE
5 red chilli
2 cloves garlic
2 slices ginger
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chicken stock
Pinch of Salt
Pound or blend chilli, garlic and ginger together – not too fine. Mix together with other ingredients until sugar dissolves.
GARNISH
2 Japanese cucumbers, sliced
2 stalks coriander, cut 3cm
2 stalks spring onion, cut 3cm
Sauce:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp chicken stock
Spread out sliced cucumbers on serving platter, cut chicken into portions and lay out on top of cucumber. Drizzle over sauce mixture. Garnish with coriander and spring onion.
ACCOMPANIMENT
Thick dark caramelised soy sauce to serve along side chilli sauce.