How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice

Presenter / Channel

• Not specified in the subtitles (appears to be the creator of the video “How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice”).

Ingredients (with quantities / notes)

Chicken & aromatics

• 1 whole chicken (chef uses corn-fed; any chicken OK)
• Ginger: “plenty” (used for broth + spring onion/ginger oil + rice)
• Spring onions: ~3 (for broth + oil)
• Garlic: 3 cloves (for rice)
• Lemongrass (used for rice; “whack” to release flavor)
• Salt
  • 1 tsp (added to boiling water for chicken)
  • ½ tsp (for spring onion oil mixture)
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG): ½ tsp
• Chicken powder: ~⅓ tsp (added to spring onion oil mixture)
• Optional: rendered chicken fat (chef removed some fat; says you can use it to cook the rice or omit)

Chili sauce (Hainanese-style)

• Red chilies: ~5, cut into pieces (then crushed/processed)
• Garlic: a few cloves
• ½ red onion
• Lime juice: “if you have it” (about 1 tbsp)
• Sugar: 1 large tsp (and “a little more sugar” after)
• Chicken broth: a little, added to finish

Rice

• Rice: 1 cup
• Butter or margarine: ~2 tsp
• Chicken broth: added to rice (chef checks level; mentions ~1 cm short and adds a bit more)
• Garlic + ginger + lemongrass: added to rice cooker

Serving

• Cucumber (for garnish)
• Spring onion oil
• Hot sauce
• Chicken broth (served/used with dish)

Equipment / preparation

• Large pot (boiling poaching water + chicken)
• Rice cooker
• Wok (for heating oil)
• Metal container or bowl (for spring onion oil mixture)
• Food processor (for chili sauce)
• Knife + cutting board
  • Chef warns: use a solid wood/thicker board to avoid breaking when cutting
• Ice water setup (cold water; ice better)
• Metal chopstick / stick / spoon (for checking doneness and lifting chicken while resting)

Method (step-by-step with timing/temps/technique cues)

1) Poach the chicken (boil + 3 quick submerges)

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Add prepared chicken:
   • Chef removed some fat from the chicken (bottom part only); fat use is optional.
3. When water is about to boil, add 1 tsp salt.
4. Submerge chicken in hot water 3 times in a row:
   • 5–10 seconds at a time (chef suggests gloves if too hot)
   • First submerge: grab by wing, immerse, then pull out
   • Wait for water to boil again, then repeat for the second submerge
   • Third time: immerse and leave it in
5. Turn heat down to medium and cook chicken for 4 minutes.
6. After 4 minutes:
   • Close lid, turn off heat
   • Let sit 35 minutes
   • Timing depends on chicken size: 35–40 minutes (chef uses 35 min for medium-sized chicken)

2) Make spring onion & ginger oil (marinated, then fried with hot oil)

1. Chop ~3 spring onions and ~3 ginger pieces:
   • Chef crushes ginger with a butcher knife; ginger doesn’t need to be very fine.
2. In a metal container/bowl, mix:
   • ½ tsp salt
   • ½ tsp MSG
   • ~⅓ tsp chicken powder
3. Mix and marinate ~10 minutes.
4. Make the oil:
   • Heat oil in a wok (chef does this after about 10 minutes)
   • Mix oil with the marinated mixture to form spring onion oil
   • Set aside

3) Make chili sauce (processed + rest)

1. In a food processor, add:
   • ~5 red chilies (cut/crushed)
   • Garlic (a few cloves)
   • ½ red onion
2. If using: add lime juice (~1 tbsp).
3. Add 1 large tsp sugar, then let rest.
4. After processing/pressing (“all sides are pressed”), add:
   • “a little more sugar”
   • “a little chicken broth”
5. Keep as chili sauce.

4) Check doneness + chill chicken (ice-water rest)

1. After the 35-minute sit, check doneness:
   • Use chopstick/metal stick; insert at wing area/thigh region
   • Chef “drills a hole” to check: no blood should come out
2. Prepare cold water/ice water in advance.
3. Discard the initial hot water, then rest chicken in ice water:
   • Up to 2 hours is fine
   • Chef suggests 15–30 minutes is enough

5) Make Hainanese-style ginger-garlic lemongrass rice (rice cooker)

1. Wash 1 cup rice quickly, drain well.
2. Add to rice cooker:
   • garlic
   • ginger
   • lemongrass
   • Chef “taps/whacks” garlic/ginger/lemongrass to release aroma
3. Add ~2 tsp butter/margarine.
4. Add chicken broth and mix.
5. Adjust liquid level:
   • Chef checks with finger/thumb method; adds broth if slightly short (mentions being ~1 cm short, then adding more)
6. Cook in rice cooker until ready.
7. Optional: Reserved chicken fat can be used for rice (if saved).

6) Carve chicken and assemble

1. Resting/cutting setup:
   • Cut on a solid wood or thicker board (chef warns boards may break)
2. Carving technique (high-level flow):
   • Lift and cut through to separate halves; remove legs/wings and bone sections
   • Cut meat into ~1.5 cm pieces for sides
   • Breast pieces are flattened slightly and sliced, then arranged
3. Plate/assemble:
   • Place chicken pieces neatly
   • Serve with:
     • spring onion oil
     • hot sauce
     • cucumber
     • chicken broth (alongside / “a little chicken broth”)

Tips / cautions / common failure points (from subtitles)

• Use corn-fed chicken for more intense flavor and slightly better texture (chef preference).
• Don’t over-fine the ginger for oil: chef wants texture.
• For carving, use a sturdy (solid wood/thick) board to prevent breaking.
• Doneness check: insert stick and ensure no blood comes out.
• Chill in ice water; chef notes 15–30 minutes is typically fine, up to 2 hours acceptable.

Variations mentioned (brief)

• Chicken fat for rice: optional—use reserved fat if desired, otherwise omit.

Serving suggestion (from subtitles)

• Plate chicken with cucumber + spring onion oil + hot sauce, and include chicken broth; serve the rice alongside the carved chicken.