How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice at Home

Hainanese chicken rice is one of those incredibly delicate dishes that fools you with its apparent simplicity, but captivates you with its flavors, aromas, and textures - qualities that make it one of the world’s most comforting foods. Chef Salil Mehta of Laut and Laut Singapora shows us how to make this dish at home. Scroll for the recipe.

Hainanese Chicken Rice
By Chef Salil Mehta - Laut Singapura

Ingredients for the Chicken:
2.5-3 kg chicken (whole free-range chicken)
Water – enough to cover the chicken in a pot
5-6 slices of Ginger
1 bunch of Scallions
2-3 shallots
Salt

Directions: Rub salt all over chicken to clean and wash. Season again with salt and let it sit for
30 minutes. Bring water to a soft boil and immediately add ginger slices, scallions, and shallots.
The add chicken, cover and cook for 20 minutes and turn off fire. Let it sit for another 20
minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside stock. Dip the chicken in ice-cold water to stop
the cooking process. Chop chicken into pieces.

Hainan Soy:
1/2-cup chicken stock
4 tbsp. Soy sauce
2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
4 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp. Dark caramel Soy sauce
Shallot 2 pcs
5-6 slices ginger
4 cloves of garlic
Sesame oil 2 tbsp.
Directions: Cook aromatics until golden, add all other ingredients and cook for 5 minutes - then strain.
Set aside in a small bowl.

Hainan Chili:
3/4 Fresh Red Chili pieces (depending upon preference)
5/6 slices of Ginger
A few cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Chicken Stock
Lime juice - 2 limes
Salt to taste
Directions: Add all ingredients in a blender and pulse till chunky consistency. Set aside in small
bowl.

Minced Ginger Topping:
3 inches of ginger minced
1 bunch of scallion chopped
3 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2-cup vegetable oil
A pinch of salt
Directions: Add all ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil till smoking hot and mix with minced
ginger. Set aside.

Chicken Rice:
5 sliced shallots
Sliced ginger (1 inch)
4/5 Pandan leaves
4 cloves Garlic
4 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp. of Chicken Bouillon
2 cups of rice washed and strained
Directions: Cook aromatics (shallot and garlic) in sesame oil till golden. Add shallot and garlic
to rice inside the rice cooker. Add stock (instead of water), Pandan leaves, ginger slices and cook in
the rice cooker.

Garnish and sides:
Cilantro
Sliced cucumber