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Hainanese Chicken with Ginger Scallion

Authentic warm and cozy Hainanese Chicken recipe with ginger scallion sauce. A great family meal to share. Whether you're preparing for Chinese New Year or another regular family meal, this traditional Chinese meal will leave everyone full and happy!
Prep Time 1 hour
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Poached Chicken

  • 1.3 kg free range and hormone free chicken
  • 4 Litre water until water slightly covers the chicken in the pot
  • 1.5 tbsp kosher salt or salt rock
  • 2 scallion
  • 7 slices of ginger
  • 2 garlic clove smashed

Chicken Marinate

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Chinese rice cooking wine

Ginger Scallion Sauce

  • 4 tbsp ginger grated
  • 2 scallion wash and chopped
  • ΒΌ cup canola oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Hainanese Rice

  • 2 tbsp canola oil or 2 tbsp chicken render fat
  • 2 cm ginger grated
  • 1 garlic clove grated
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth broth used to make the chicken

Garnish

  • 1 cucumber sliced thinly

Instructions

Cleaning the Chicken

  • Take the whole chicken and give it a good wash. Pat dry with paper towel.
  • Exfoliation: wearing gloves, take 1 tsp of salt on the gloves and rub the chicken evenly. Make sure you get area like under the wing and inside the cavity. Rub the chicken for a good 10 minutes with salt. Initially the chicken skin is wrinkly, but after 10 minutes of salt rubbing the skin should appear smooth and glowing.
  • chicken marinate: combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese cooking wine together. Using a pastry brush, brush the chicken with the marinate and let it sit.

Cooking the Chicken

  • Bring a large stock pot on to the stove and add the 4L of water. Add the scallion, ginger and garlic. Bring the water to boiling hot. grabbing the chicken by the neck, dip the chicken into the water and bring it back out. Repeat 4 times. After the 4th time, place the whole chicken (breast submerged first in the water) into the pot with the lid on top. Bring the pot to a very low simmer for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes turn off the heat but let the chicken sit in the broth for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, take a large bowl and fill it with water (about 2L of water) and 1L of ice. Once the chicken finish cooking, immediately take the chicken out and place it in the ice bath.
  • Leave the chicken in the ice bath until meat is firm and cool. About 10 minutes. Take the chicken out and drain excess liquid.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

  • Meanwhile, make the ginger scallion sauce.
    In a deep heat proof bowl, place the grated ginger, chopped scallion, and salt in the bowl. Use a spoon and mix well.
  • In a pan, heat the canola oil until you start to see it smoke. Turn off the heat and carefully pour it over the ginger and scallion. Make sure you place the bowl in a sink because once the oil hits the ginger it will splatter a bit of oil.

Hainanese Rice

  • In a pan or a pot with a lid, heat up the chicken fat or oil. Add the ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the rice and fry gently until glossy. Add chicken stock and place the lid on top. Cook the rice on low for 17 minutes, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Serving Hainanese Chicken

  • Take the chicken using a sturdy knife, chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Traditionally we chop the chicken with the bones interacted. Lay all the pieces on a large plate.
  • Repeat the chicken marinate again, and brush the marinate on top of the chicken again.
  • Fluff up the rice and serve with thinly sliced cucumbers with the side of the Ginger Scallion Sauce.