Chicken Rice

A complete chicken rice dish that includes slices of tender chicken breast, plus a crunchy cucumber garnish alongside fluffy, freshly steamed rice and piquant condiments.

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 40 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5

Ingredients

• 4 (1 kg) single chicken breasts on bone
• 1 tsp Chinese cooking wine (shao hsing)
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, sliced thinly
• 2 spring onions (scallions), chopped finely
• 2 litre (8 cups) water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup (200 g) jasmine rice
• 1 (130 g) lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 spring onion (scallion), sliced thinly, extra chilli ginger sambal
• 4 fresh red Thai (serrano) chillies, chopped coarsely
• 1 clove garlic, chopped coarsely
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger (10 g), chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp water
• 2 tsps lime juice

Steps

Rub chicken all over with combined rice wine and sauce. Gently slide ginger, garlic and spring onion under chicken skin.

02. Bring the water to the boil in a large saucepan. Place chicken in the water. Turn off heat, turn chicken pieces. Stand chicken in water 20 mins. Remove chicken from pan, return liquid to the boil. Return chicken to pan, stand 20 mins. Repeat boiling, turning and standing four times.

03. Remove chicken from pan, remove and discard skin. Brush chicken all over with remaining sauce, oil and salt.

04. Return cooking liquid to the boil, boil, uncovered, until reduced by a half.

05. Meanwhile, rinse rice thoroughly under cold running water. Place rice in large saucepan, add enough water to cover rice by 2 cm. Cover pan, bring to the boil. Stir several times to prevent rice sticking. When boiling, remove lid and continue to boil until tunnels appear in rice and all the water has evaporated or been absorbed, do not stir. Cover, stand rice 20 mins. Stir with fork, stand, covered, further 10 mins.

06. Cut chicken into pieces, serve with rice, cucumber and chilli ginger sambal. Accompany with a bowl of cooking liquid sprinkled with extra spring onion.

CHILLI GINGER SAMBAL

01. Blend sliced spring onion, chilli, garlic, ginger and remaining ingredients (or grind in a mortar and pestle) until combined.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au