One of My Tastebud's New Favorite Websites

A few nights ago I had a craving for Hainanese Chicken and though I have made it a number of times from the memory of watching my friend's husband, who was a chef in Hong Kong, make it for some reason I wanted to see if what I was making was "accurate". A google search led me to one of my new favorite recipe sites -

http://www.nibbledish.com/

This community driven site boasts recipes and photos posted by members. The members critic and embellish and share their versions of the same or similar dishes, many of them old family favorites. I didn't use any of the chicken recipes from the site but I have since trolled around and printed out a number I will be making soon. I'll let you know how they turn out.

The HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE recipe I make is a follows. This dish is made throughout Asia and each person has their own recipe so I am OK with the variations I have made. The key ingredients, chicken and rice aside, are scallions, garlic and soy sauce and you really can't go wrong with the amounts because you really only need be concerned about the amounts of water used to cook the rice!

CHICKEN

1 3lb Chicken, skin on, cleaned and patted dry

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup thin soy sauce

( I use more soy because of flavor, but also because it colors the chicken)

1 cup chopped scallions

4 good size chunks of peeled, smashed fresh ginger, keep about 1 tbs on side

4-6 peeled and smashed cloves of garlic, keep about 1 tbs on side

1 tbs seasame oil

2 tbs veggie oil

3 cups rice

water for both chicken and rice

Instructions:

Clean and pat bird dry before lightly salting cavity.

You'll need a pot big enough to submerge the chicken, a skillet and a pot for the rice

Into the chicken pot add about 2 cups of cool water, about 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, soy sauce, 2/3 cup scallions, all ginger and garlic, expect for amount held to the side. Allow seasoned water warm before adding the clean, dry salted chicken into so that its breast down. The water should just cover and slightly submerge the chicken. If it doesn't add a bit more warm water

Let pot come to a slow rolling boil and cook for about 30-45 minutes. Halfway through turn chicken over.Once the chicken is done, lift it from the pot allowing all the stock to drain from it back into the pot before placing it on a plate to cool. (some people submerge it into an ice bath to stop cooking and firm up chicken)

DO NOT throw away chicken stock. You will use it to make the rice, straining it to remove all garlic, ginger and scallions.

RICE

Heat a skillet or wok and add veggie and seasame oils. Once hot add and stir fry garlic, ginger and scallions so that they season the oil. Add rice and stir fry until grains are oil coated and rice is a bit translucent. Transfer the rice mixture back to the original chicken pot, which should now be heating on the stove. Use the saved stock to cook the rice. Though the ration for liquid is 2:1 (6 cups liquid to 3 cups rice) I usually pour only enough liquid so that it is about 2 inches higher than the rice. Bring water to a boil until water is just above top of rice, stir once, cover with top and turn off heat leaving rice to "cook" for 20 minutes or so. Once cooked stir again to fluff.

FINISH

Chicken should be cool enough to handle and is usually eat cold (I like mine warm!). Carefully chop chicken parts into small bite size pieces to top a mound of rice, which is then garnished with chopped scallions. Whether or not you leave the skin on chopped chicken is your choice.

Some people make dipping sauces but I just sprinkle soy sauce and serve with fresh veggie and herb sides which include tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and more chopped scallions and cilantro.