Singapore Chicken Rice
In Singapore, the delicious Hainanese chicken rice reigns supreme. Beloved by locals and embraced by all, chicken rice is the ultimate comfort food of Singapore. Think of it as Southeast Asia's answer to risotto—a tantalizing blend of nourishing chicken broth, fragrant with garlic, ginger and pandan leaves paired with delicate jasmine rice and succulent chicken.
Served with an array of spicy, soy and gingery condiments, chicken rice can be customised for every palate. While the roots of chicken rice lie with early Chinese immigrants from Hainan, this nutritious calorie bomb fuelled dockworkers and rickshaw pullers when Singapore was still part of the old British colony of Malaya.
Today, I find myself recreating this Singaporean classic, inspired by Mrs. Leong Yee's treasured recipe book - The Best of Singapore Cooking. Whether sourced from hawker stalls, school lunch halls or increasingly from fancy heritage restaurants, chicken rice is a hit with children across South East.
The broth and the rice are both infused with pandan or screwpine, which is widely cultivated across Southeast Asia. Pandan’s long, blade-like leaves possess a natural sweetness with hints of vanilla and a subtle floral note. The unique flavor profile of pandan lends itself to both sweet desserts to savory dishes. Frozen pandan leaves and even bottled pandan essence are increasingly available in Asian stores and online.
Because the broth is so distinct, I usually make a large pot of broth and freeze it in batches. Discover the authentic flavors of Singapore with this irresistible chicken rice dish.
Singapore Chicken Rice
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 chicken
A bunch of spring onions
1 head of garlic
1 large thumb of ginger
6 pandan leaves (double if frozen) or a few drops of pandan essence.
Soy sauce
Salt to taste
2 cups of jasmine rice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Half a cucumber, sliced
Coriander leaves, to garnish
Ginger sauce
4 cloves of garlic, finely grated
A thumb of ginger, finely grated
1 tablespoon of warm chicken broth
Half a teaspoon of sugar
Salt to taste
Chili sauce
6 red chili peppers, finely chopped and pounded
1 tablespoon of lime juice (preferably calamansi)
1 tablespoon of warm chicken broth
Half a teaspoon of sugar
Salt to taste
Method
Rub the chicken thoroughly with soy sauce and salt until it is completely coated. Stuff the cavity with 2-3 garlic cloves, 6 large slices of ginger, and a a knot of 2 spring onions and 2 pandan leaves . Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add some thick slices of ginger, additional garlic cloves, another knot of onion and pandan leaves to the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil and skim off any sediment or foam that forms on the surface. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Using a couple of slotted spoons or tongs, carefully remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a chopping board.
Traditionally, at this stage, the chicken is submerged in iced water to halt the cooking process. However, I prefer to remove the meat with the skin intact, spooning over a ladle of broth to retain moisture, and then returning the carcass and aromatics to the pot. Allow everything to simmer for another hour to develop a rich, thick broth. Strain the liquid and set it aside to settle.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water. Finely grate one clove of garlic and a small thumb of ginger. Skim off some fat from the surface of the broth and use it to gently fry the garlic and ginger. Stir in the rice, ensuring it is well-coated.
Cover the rice with twice the amount of broth (2:1) and add in another pandan leaf or a couple of drops of pandan essence. Include any oil that has risen to the surface of the broth. Ideally, I strongly recommend using an electric rice cooker. If using a pot, then bring to the boil and then cover tightly so as to trap the steam. Reduce to a very low simmer and leave cook for 20-30 minutes.
To make the ginger sauce, combine a finely grated small thumb ginger and a clove of garlic with a tablespoon of the broth, half a teaspoon of sugar and salt to taste.
To make the chili sauce, combine the pounded chili with a pinch of sugar, a squeeze of lime, and a tablespoon of the broth.
Serve a bowl-shaped scoop of rice alongside the room temperature chicken, garnished with coriander leaves and accompanied by cucumber slices, the sauces and a bowl of the fragrant chicken broth garnished with some green onion slices.