HAINAN CHICKEN

For someone who loves to cook, I find living here in Shanghai with all it's many great restaurants, and great social life, I cook less than I normally would. I am not complaining, but when I do cook I realise just how much I enjoy it. So when we were on holiday on Hainan Island a few weeks ago I enjoyed this chicken dish. On returning imagine my delight when browsing through a Ken Hom cook book, Exploring China, there was the very recipe.

Ingredients gathered I set to work. It is a simple but tasty recipe and one I will return to again and again.

The parts of the dish are all served separately and everyone puts it together to suit themselves. It's a bit like a deconstructed chicken soup.

RECIPE (serves 4)

1x1.5kg chicken, salt, 1.75 litres chicken stock, 6 slices fresh ginger, 6 whole spring onions, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper,  1tbsp oil, 2tbsp finely chopped garlic, 400mls long grain rice, measured in a jug.

Rub chicken all over with salt and put into pot and cover with stock, add more water if necessary. Bring to a boil. Add ginger, spring onions and pepper, cover tightly and turn down and simmer for 30 mins. turn off heat and leave for 1 hour.

Remove chicken and allow to cool. Remove ginger and onions from stock and skim off any fat. Measure out 900mls of stock and set aside. Reserve the rest of the stock..

Heat large frying pan. When hot add the oil and add the garlic and 1tsp of salt, stir  then add rice and stir for 2 mins. Now add the 900mls of stock and boil until most of stock has evaporated. Cover tightly and cook at very low temp for 15 mins. Remove and let rest before serving.  

The dish is served with garnish and dipping sauces. Again served alongside the chicken and rice to be added as required. These are very simple and really add to the flavour.

GARNISH

1 large cucumber, 225g tomatoes, 2 spring onions.

Peel and remove seeds from cucumber. Slice. Slice tomatoes and chop spring onions and mix together.

SAUCES

GINGER and SPRING ONION.  4 tbsp finely chopped sprong onion, white part only, 2tsp finely chopped ginger, 1tsp salt 2tbsp oil.

Mix together in a heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a pan and when it is hot pour over ingredients.

CHILLI SESAME DRESSING. 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt.

Combine altogether in a bowl.

Now you are ready to put everything on the table. 

Chop the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Reheat remaining stock and put in a serving bowl and put salad and sauces into serving bowls. Give everyone a bowl and enjoy.

It is amazing how the simplest of foods always taste so good. Just takes good quality ingredients.

It was good to be back in the kitchen, and with the leftovers I just put some chicken, chopped smaller, some rice and the stock and we enjoyed a delicious bowl of chicken soup for supper the following night.