Hainanese chicken is one of the most classic Asian dishes out there but, if you’re doing things the traditional way, it can take a considerable time. Which is a shame on those busy weeknights when you want all the comfort it brings but don’t want to take a huge chunk out of your evening. So how can you enjoy the hawker classic… but make it easier? This one-pot, rice cooker recipe is the answer.
2 cups jasmine rice
2 spring onions (scallions), trimmed, cut in half
3 slices ginger, skin-on
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2½ cups chicken stock
4 chicken drumsticks
4 small skin-on boneless chicken thigh fillets
sambal oelek, to serve
sliced cucumber, to serve
Spring onion sauce:
1 cup finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame oil
- Place the rice, spring onion, ginger, garlic and chicken stock in the bowl of a rice cooker. Nestle the chicken pieces into the rice. Close the lid and select the Automatic setting on the rice cooker, then press Start. Leave until the rice cooker automatic function finishes and the rice and chicken are cooked through.
- For the spring onion sauce, use a mortar and pestle to bruise the spring onion and salt until it forms a rough paste. Place the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Heat until a chopstick or wooden spoon placed in to the oil sizzles. Then carefully pour the hot oil over the spring onion paste. Stir until combined. Spoon out into a small serving bowl or dish.
- To serve, transfer the chicken to a chopping board. Slice the thigh pieces. Serve with the rice, spring onion sauce, sambal oelek and cucumber.
- Notes: – We made this dish using the Panasonic 10-cup Rice & Multi Cooker SR-CN188WST . – Sambal oelek is a spicy paste made from fresh red chillies. It’s available from the Asian aisle of most supermarkets or from an Asian grocer.
