Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball — The Complete Recipe

Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball — The Complete Base Recipe

This is the whole thing put together. Poached chicken, stock-cooked rice shaped into balls, clear soup, chilli sauce on the side. If you’re new to this dish, start here. The individual components each have their own recipe in this section if you want to go deeper on any one element.

Ingredients

Method

1. 1
   Prepare the chicken

   Rub the chicken inside and out with salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes. This firms the skin and starts to season the meat.
2. 2
   Poach the chicken

   Place the chicken breast-side down in a large pot. Add cold water, ginger slices, spring onions, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to the lowest simmer you can maintain. The water should barely be moving. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes for a 1.5kg bird. It’s done when the juices run clear from the thigh joint.
3. 3
   Ice bath

   Remove the chicken and plunge it immediately into a large bowl of heavily iced water. Leave it for 15 minutes. This stops the cooking instantly and tightens the skin to give it that characteristic slight chew. Without this step the skin goes soft and the presentation suffers.
4. 4
   Reserve the stock

   Keep all of the poaching liquid. You need about 600ml for the rice and 1 litre for the soup. If you have less than 1.6 litres total, top up with water and a pinch of salt.
5. 5
   Cook the rice

   Wash the rice until the water runs fairly clear, then drain well. Heat the chicken fat or oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 90 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the drained rice and stir to coat every grain with the fat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock, pandan leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes. Don’t lift the lid during cooking.
6. 6
   Shape the rice balls

   When the rice is done and cool enough to handle (warm but not hot, roughly 10 to 15 minutes after resting), wet your hands lightly with water. Take a small handful of rice, about 60 to 70 grams, and press it firmly into a compact ball about the size of a golf ball. Squeeze firmly and rotate in your palms until it holds together cleanly. Work quickly while the rice is still warm. Set each ball on a plate as you go. This recipe yields approximately 16 to 20 rice balls.
7. 7
   Prepare the soup

   Bring 1 litre of the poaching stock to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and white pepper. Taste as you go. The stock from a well-seasoned chicken should need only light adjustment. Ladle into small bowls and garnish with thinly sliced spring onion and coriander.
8. 8
   Finish and serve

   Drain the chicken from the ice bath and pat dry. Brush lightly with sesame oil all over. Carve or chop into serving pieces. Arrange on a plate with a drizzle of light soy sauce. Serve the rice balls on a separate plate alongside, with the soup in small bowls and chilli sauce (see Recipe 4) and ginger-sesame paste (see Recipe 5) on the table.

Cook’s Tips

End of Recipe 1