HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen now! Hainanese Chicken Rice. I learned this when I attended a cooking class in Singapore a couple of years ago. I like it because it's a complete meal. It has soup, chicken, and rice. The condiments can be purchased in the grocery if you don't have time to make it from scratch. This is my comfort food for the moment. Hope you can try making this easy recipe in your own homes too. Enjoy!

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

1 1/2 kilograms whole chicken

20 cups water

1 ounce fresh young ginger -- peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic -- peeled

1 bunch spring onions -- washed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

slice cucumber -- for garnish

cliantro leaves -- for garnish

condiment

chilli sauce

grated ginger

sweet thick soy sauce

1. Wash chicken and remove knobs of fat on either side of the buttocks.

2. Smash the ginger and garlic and tie the spring onions into a knot.

3. Stuff the chicken with salt, garlic, ginger and spring onions.

4. Boil 20 cups of water in a large pot. Add chicken, breast side down first, submerging completely.

5. Let water boil, then turn the heat down to very low heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, uncovering once to turn chicken turn over.

6. Remove the chicken and drain liquid from the body cavity. Retain liquid for later use.

7. Wash under tap water for about 2 minutes to stop the cooking process and to tighten the skin.

8. Drain, rub some vegetable oil over and let the chicken cool to room temperature.

9. Chop the ckicken into bite-sized pieces and serve garnished with sliced cucumbers. Then top with cilantro leaves.

FOR CONDIMENTS:

1. chilli sauce can be purchased in the grocery.

2. for the grated ginger...

1/4 c. grated ginger

3 T. vegetable oil

salt and white pepper to taste

heat oil in a sautepan. add ginger and cook until juices are slightly reduced. season with salt and white pepper to taste.

3. sweet thick soy sauce can be purchased in the grocery. If not available, you may use soy sauce.

FOR THE RICE

12 ounces long grain rice

5 cloves garlic -- minced

5 pieces shallots -- minced

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Wash rice and drain in a colander for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 3 T oil over high heat in a wok. Add shallots and stir fry until fragrant. Add garlic and stir fry for one minute.

3. Add the rice grains and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

4. Transfer to a saucepan or rice cooker and add the chicken broth and salt. Boil over high heat and lower down the heat to steam the rice when the water level reaches the level of the rice grains and steam holes appear. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked.

CHICKEN AND CORN TORTILLA SOUP

I went to yoga this evening...whew what a workout!  On my way home, I started getting hungry and  thought of what to have for dinner. Since it was raining, I decided to just make some soup. This is one soup that I would make every time I don't feel like eating rice.  I actually made this for Yummy magazine last year for a feature of comfort foods.  This is one of them and yes, this is what's for dinner.  I think it's ready now.  Time to eat! 

2 T.       OLIVE OIL

1/2 C.    ONION, CHOPPED

1/4 C.    CELERY,CHOPPED

1  (14 OZ) CAN  CRUSHED TOMATOES

2  C.      CHICKEN STOCK

1 T.       GROUND CUMIN

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

4 PCS.  CORN TORTILLA, SHREDDED or torn

1/2 C    CHICKEN BREAST, BOILED AND SHREDDED

2  PCS  SWEET CORN, SHRED FOR KERNELS ONLY OR 1 CAN SWEET CORN KERNELS

CILANTRO,  FOR GARNISH

TORTILLA CHIPS,  FOR GARNISH – OPTIONAL

Directions:

1.     1.  Heat olive oil in a saucepan.

2.    2.   Sauté onions and celery for about 3 minutes until wilted.

3.     3.  Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and corn tortilla. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4.    4.   Add the cumin, then season with salt and pepper

5.     5.  Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth.

6.     6.  Add to the soup the shredded chicken and corn kernels. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.

7.     7.  To serve, scoop soup on soup bowls, garnish with cilantro and or tortilla chips.

 

BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS!

I was browsing through my food photos and found this. I did this for a food tasting a few months ago.  Since I cooked the wings for a group of tasters, I served the whole batch thinking that there would be some left for me, but it got wiped out in a blink of an eye. They commented that it was good and that was enough for me to know that I did something right.

This is what I served for dinner tonight, together with a taco salad and cheese quesadillas. Would've loved to have this with a mojito but didn't have time to get some mint. 

BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS

       oil for deep frying

         1/4 cup butter

         1/4 cup hot sauce

         1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

        1/4   teaspoon pepper

coating:

         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

         1 teaspoon paprika

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         1/8 teaspoon pepper

         10 chicken wings

DIRECTIONS

1.       Combine the butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.

2.       In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. 

3.       Heat oil in a medium saucepan to about 375 F.  

3.       Coat wings well with the flour mixture.

4.       Fry wings for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts golden brown. Remove from heat and             immediately coat wings with the hot sauce mixture.     Serve with blue cheese dressing.                            

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise

        1/2 cup sour cream

    1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled        

1 tablespoon lemon juice

        2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

        1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

        1/4 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.