Hainan Chicken Rice

Recommended Cookware
Cocotte Every 18

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Legs
• 300 g Rice
• 300 ml Water

Aromatics:

• 1 tsp grated Garlic
• 3 tsp chopped Shallot
• 1 stem Lemongrass (cut in half across the length)
• 5 slices Ginger

Ginger Scallion Dip:

• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 2 tbsp finely chopped Spring Onion
• 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
• Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. 1. Rinse the rice. Drain and set aside.
2. 2. Rinse the chicken legs. Trim off some fat and set aside for later use.
3. 3. To make the ginger scallion dip, pour oil into the cold pot. Turn on medium heat and preheat for 4 minutes. Put spring onion and grated ginger into a small bowl. Pour the boiling hot oil into the bowl. Add a pinch of salt and stir well.
4. 4. Fry the chicken fat from step 2 in the pot. Stir for 2 minutes. Add grated garlic and chopped shallot. Stir until fragrant. Pour in the rice and mix well. Add water. Make sure the rice is flat on the surface by running a spatula over it.
5. 5. Arrange sliced ginger and lemongrass over the rice. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Put the chicken legs on top. Cover the lid and turn to low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Turn to medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and leave it with the lid on for 10 minutes.
6. 6. Chop the chicken legs into pieces and save on a serving plate. Discard the ginger and lemongrass. Fluff up the rice and mix well. Serve the rice in bowls with the ginger scallion dip on the side.

Tips:

1. Traditional rice cooker is heated on the bottom only whereas cast iron pots conduct heat in all directions. The rice is heated on all sides so that it tends to retain a lovely chew after cooked and each grain is separable from another. You can fry the ingredients and make the rice in the same cast iron pot which made the rice especially rich in taste.