Hainanese-Style Chicken

Hainanese-Style Chicken Chris Girvan-Brown We do this dish in BBQ School, and while to slowly cool, and when the temperature it technically isn’t barbecue or grilling, it is of the chicken and stock drops to 70 de- outdoor cooking. Whenever I do it, people grees C (160 degrees F), the dish is ready are amazed that such a simple technique to serve. works so well. It’s a bastardization of Haina- nese Chicken Rice, but without the rice this One of the real joys of this meal is how ef- time, as rice is an illegal carbohydrate in my fortless it is to cook; you just set it up and diet. Feel free to steam some rice to go with walk away! It’s perfect for camping. You can it if you wish. boil the stock, pop your chicken in, and go fishing, and lunch is ready when you get When the Hainanese migrated to Singa- back! Any leftover chicken makes a great pore around the 1840s, they brought with sandwich or salad, too. them a staple and comfort food known as Wenchang chicken rice. One hundred years later, the first street vendor started serving Hainanese-Style Chicken Wenchang chicken rice. Since then the dish has gradually evolved as Cantonese tech- • Chicken niques influenced the way it was made, and • Chopped chili Hainanese Chicken Rice, as it is now called, • Chopped cilantro became a uniquely Singaporean dish. • Soy sauce • Kecup manis This is my adaptation (read simplifi- • Onion cation) of that dish. This is a lovely, • Capsicum (Bell Pepper) nutritious, clean-tasting dish with all • Green onion the warm soul of chicken noodle soup; • Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage) or other you can just feel it doing you good. No Asian leafy vegetable. wonder the Hainanese consider it comfort food; I would cook this at home at This is more of a technique than a recipe. least once a month! Get your largest stock pot and make a prim- The dish relies on the natural flavor of the itive stock. I’m using some onion, capsicum chicken, producing meat that is tender and (bell pepper) and chili, with a good dollop silky in the mouth, through the use of a of Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweetened car- trick that feels like a leap of faith at first. amel soy sauce). Look through the drawer The chicken is poached in boiled stock, at the bottom of your fridge and throw in then the heat is turned off, and the chick- any vegetables that are not slimy; you are en heats up as the stock cools, until they just trying to create a flavorful stock. Fill the equalize at around 80 degrees C (175 de- stockpot 3/4 with water and throw in all the grees F). The chicken should be cooked by ingredients you think would make a tasty this point. The chicken and stock are left stock. 66 67 Boil the stock and leave it simmer for a half an hour so all the flavors get released. Make a handle for the chicken so you can get it in and out of the hot liquid easily. I just run some butcher’s twine through the bird lengthwise and knot it together. Be sure to lift the bird by the spine if you use this method, as the twine may cut through the chicken between the leg and breast if the bird is the other way up. 68 69 Carefully lower the chicken into the boiling liquid and turn the heat off. Note: if there is a cold breeze or if your pot is small, leave the heat on for two to five minutes to keep the liquid from cooling too quickly. 70 71 Leave the chicken in the liquid for at least an hour; I leave it an hour and a half. While you are waiting, prepare a bowl with some sliced chili, green onion, and cilantro, and maybe ginger if you have some. Wash and prepare some Bok Choy by breaking the leaves off. Remove the chicken from the stock, turn the heat back on, and drop in the Bok Choy. Leave it in just long enough to wilt. Take a couple of ladles of the stock and pour it over the prepared bowl of chili, green onion, and cilantro. 72 73 74 Slice the chicken. Look at how beautiful and moist it is, just perfectly cooked! 75 76 Pour the stock and aromatics from the prepared bowl over the chicken, and serve with extra chopped chilli and some soy sauce. Once you try this, you’ll be doing it regularly; it’s an easy and refreshing Asian dish everyone will love! Try experimenting with different stock mixes: I like to add heaps of garlic with a couple of heaped teaspoons of good curry paste. v Chris Girvan-Brown (aka Urban Griller) is Australia’s BBQ Guru. He has written numerous BBQ articles for food magazines, instruction manuals, and cookbooks. He also does BBQ cooking segments for local radio and has been running BBQ cooking schools for 14 years. UrbanGriller.com Barbecue Forum.

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