NASI AYAM (HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE)

Chicken rice is sold everywhere in Malaysia, be it in air conditioned restaurants or in the iconic hawker stalls. It is equally delicious anywhere you eat it. The chicken is gently simmered with aromatics and simply brushed with sesame oil.  Served with the broth in which the chicken was cooked in, chicken flavoured rice and chilli sauce, it is the perfect meal that one can never tire of. 

It is quite easy to recreate at home but just needs time to make as the gentle cooking and resting process gives the chicken its characteristic tender texture and succulence. I like browning it in the oven after boiling to give it a richer, roasted taste.

Ingredients for the chicken:

1 whole medium chicken
1 big onion, cut in slices
1" piece of ginger, cut in slices
2 bunches of spring onions, each cut into three pieces
2 tsps. salt
2 tsps. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

Method:

Insert a few pieces each of the onion, ginger and spring onion pieces into the chicken cavity. Put in a stock pot and top with water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then skim off the scum that comes to the surface. Add the rest of the onions, ginger and spring onions.

Turn the heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes. Switch off the heat and leave for another 20 minutes. Do not open the lid of the pot before then. At the end of the last 20 minutes, take the chicken out of the pot and drain the liquid from the cavity. This can be chopped and eaten like this but I prefer roasting it for more flavour.

Reboil the stock for 20 minutes and strain. Set aside. Baste the chicken with the soy sauce and sesame oil. 

Roast in a preheated oven ( 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C ) for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before chopping into serving pieces.

Ingredients for the rice:

2 cups of uncooked rice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbsps. of cooking oil
3 slices of ginger
1 screwpine leaf (pandan), knotted
chicken broth
2 tbsps. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

Method:

Wash the rice and strain. 


Fry the crushed garlic in the oil until golden. Add the rice and ginger and stir until the grains are coated with oil. Fry for 3 minutes until hot and fragrant.

Put the rice in the rice cooker pot and top with the strained chicken broth instead of water. Use the amount of liquid that you normally use when cooking your rice (I used 2 1/2 c. of stock). Add the screwpine leaf, soy sauce and sesame oil. Give it a quick stir, cover the pot and switch the cooker on.

Give it another stir halfway through the cooking time as it tends to catch because of the other ingredients added. Its done when the cooker switches off.

CHILLI SAUCE

Chop 4 cloves of garlic, a red finger chilli and a one inch cube of ginger by hand or in a food processor. Add 2 tbsps. of lime juice, 4 tbsps. of water, 3 tbsps. of fish sauce and 3 tbsps. of sugar. Mix together and serve as sauce for the chicken.

CHICKEN SOUP

Check the broth for seasoning. Serve it sprinkled with spring onion rings to complete  the meal.

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