Chicken Rice

Daniel
Jun 8, 2023
4 min read

Updated: May 20

This is requested by one of my TikTok followers. To be honest, I am humbled, flattered really, to have requests from my audience. I am grateful that I am given the chance to learn and share my recipes with you fine people.

Anyway, I am not a fan of Chinese chicken rice in Singapore. There is something off with the chicken that I can't wrap my head around; the chicken is either too dry or bland. Sometimes, they even serve the chicken over some plain cooked rice and called it chicken rice. That's the truth sadly.

And I am not saying that mine is better. I know it takes decades of training to get the roasted chicken right. But somehow, I learned a shortcut to get it right every single time. All you need is some effort and patience. You can get the butcher to half the whole chicken for you or you can do it yourself. I am still learning as I am not good at butchering.

As for the rice and sauces, all you need is a good chicken stock. Try not to use store-bought ones as they are usually bland and contain loads of sodium. Make the stock from scratch with some chicken carcasses. You will be surprised by the results and you probably will not be going back to any store-bought ones again.

I know the entire process takes a lot of effort, time and patience, but trust me, you will get a satisfying plate of chicken rice. This may "wow" your family, I know I did. I hope you will give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

(Serve 4)

Chicken:
Brine -
Cold Water, 1L
Liquid Smoke (I'm using Stubb's), 10g
Sea Salt, 50g
Whole Chicken Halved, 1 Chicken (About 900g)
Glaze -
Black Molasses, 50g
Liquid Smoke (I'm using Stubb's), 25g
Soy Sauce, 15g
Stock:
Chicken Carcasses, 3
Milk Powder, 2 TBSP
Sea Salt, Pinch
Garlic Crushed, 5 Cloves
Ginger Crushed, 2"
Scallions White Parts, A Handful
Fennel Seeds, 1 TBSP
Szechuan Peppercorns, 1 TBSP
Cinnamon Stick, 1
Star Anise, 1
Cloves, 5
White Pepper, Pinch
Mushroom Powder, Pinch
Rice:
Sesame Oil, 2 TBSP
Garlic Finely Minced, 5 Cloves
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper. Pinch
Jasmine Rice, 165g
Sea Salt, Pinch
Sauces:
Chili Sauce -
Fresh Chilies Deseeded Coarsely Chopped, 6
Ginger Coarsely Sliced, 3"
Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 TSP
Rice Vinegar, 1 TSP
Fresh Lime Juice, 1 Lime
Fresh Lime Zest, 1 Lime
Sea Salt, Pinch
Granulated Sugar, Pinch
Soy Sauce -
Water, 100g
Rock Sugar, 30g
Soy Sauce, 80g Or skip the process and use Kecap Manis Homemade
Ginger Garlic Sauce -
Ginger Coarsely Sliced, 4"
Garlic Coarsely Minced, 5 Cloves
Sesame Oil, 3 TBSP
Sea Salt, Pinch
White Pepper, Pinch
Scallions Green Parts Coarsely Sliced, For Garnish

Equipment:

Oven
Rice Cooker
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Meat Thermometer
Heavy Pot
Food Processor / Stick Blender
Sauce Pot

Directions:

Smoked Hainanese Chicken Rice
Brine the Chicken
In a large bowl, mix water, liquid smoke, and salt until dissolved.
Submerge the chicken, cover, and chill in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.
Make the Glaze
In a small bowl, combine molasses, liquid smoke, and soy sauce.
Mix until smooth and set aside.
Glaze and Dry the Chicken
After brining, place the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack.
Brush generously with the glaze.
Chill uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
Slow Bake and Roast the Chicken
Preheat oven to 90°C (195°F).
Brush the chicken again with the glaze.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Repeat the glaze + bake step 4 more times (total 5 rounds).
Increase oven to 200°C (395°F).
Roast for 6 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 60°C (140°F) and the skin is glossy and lightly charred.
Let rest before slicing.
Chicken Stock
Roast the Bones
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
Toss chicken carcasses with milk powder and salt.
Roast for 40–50 minutes, flipping halfway, until deeply browned.
Simmer the Stock
Deglaze with water and transfer everything into a pot.
Add 2L water and the remaining stock ingredients.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Taste and season with salt, pepper, and mushroom powder.
Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
Strain and discard solids.
Optional: shred any remaining meat and add back into the stock.
Garlic Rice
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic in oil until fragrant.
Add rice and stir to coat well.
Transfer to a rice cooker and add stock until it covers the rice by about 1 inch.
Cook according to rice cooker instructions.
Chili Sauce
Blitz chili, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and just enough chicken stock to blend.
Add lime juice and zest.
Season with salt and sugar, then blitz again until smooth.
Set aside.
Soy Sauce
Alternatively, use kecap manis.
In a small pot, heat water and sugar until dissolved.
Stir in soy sauce and simmer until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Ginger Garlic Sauce
Blitz ginger, garlic, and oil until smooth.
Transfer to a skillet and sauté until aromatic.
Season with salt and pepper and sauté again.
Remove from heat and set aside.
To Assemble
Slice the rested chicken.
Spoon garlic rice onto serving plates.
Top with sliced chicken and drizzle with soy sauce.
Garnish with chopped scallions.
Serve with chili sauce, ginger garlic sauce, and a bowl of chicken stock on the side.