Hainan Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kg whole chicken
2 cups long grain rice
14 shallots
12 pips garlic
½ inch long ginger
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 tbsp cooking oil
Ingredients for Chicken stock:
250 gm chicken bones
750 ml water
salt to taste

Ingredients for Chilli Sauce:

5 red chillies
4 pips garlic
1 lime
1 Tbsp sugar
½ inch long ginger
¼ tsp salt
Garnishing Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 tomato
1 sprig spring onion
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp light soya sauce

Preparation of Ingredients:

Boil chicken bones with water to obtain chicken stock. Add salt to taste.
Smash 8 shallots, 6 pips garlic and ginger.
Clean the chicken and stuff the inside with the smashed ingredients. Rub the skin with salt and pepper.
Finely slice the remaining shallots and chop the remaining garlic.
Pound red chillies, ginger and garlic together. Extract lime juice. Add lime juice, sugar and salt to the pounded ingredients. Set aside mixture.
Finely slice the cucumber and tomato.
Cut the spring onions into 2 cm lengths.
Mix the sesame oil and light soya sauce together.
Wash the rice grains.

Method:

Heat oil in wok. Fry the chopped garlic and sliced shallots until golden brown. Then add in the washed rice grains and continue to fry until fragrant.
Transfer the fried rice grains into a rice cooker. Add in the chicken stock and continue to cook until rice is done.

Steam the chicken in a wok or steamer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove from heat and cut into bite-size pieces.
Arrange the cucumber and tomato slices around the edge of a serving platter. Then place the chicken pieces in the centre of the same platter. Sprinkle the spring onions over the chicken and pour the mixed sesame oil and light soya sauce over it.
Serve chicken with the steamed rice and chilli sauce.

Satay

If you've never had the real stuff, then you're going to be blown away by the succulent taste of this satay recipe. Strips of chicken (or beef) are marinated in a special paste, then skewered and grilled on the BBQ or broiled in the oven. It is then served with homemade peanut sauce for the ultimate taste sensation. Even your kids will love it. Chicken Satay also makes a great party food!

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-16 or more chicken thighs, cut into small pieces or strips, or the equivalent of beef (enough for your family/party)
• 1 package wooden skewers
  optional garnish: 1 red chilli, sliced thinly

SATAY MARINADE:

• 1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen (if using fresh, see below for instructions)
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 of thumb-size piece fresh turmeric, OR 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds, ground (grind them yourself with a coffee grinder)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 5 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

PREPARATION:

1. Cut chicken or beef into small, thin pieces or strips (small enough to easily skewer). Place in a bowl.


2. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor (discard the upper stalk of lemongrass). Process well.


3. Taste test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest taste should be SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add 1 - 2 Tbsp. more fish sauce if you feel it needs more.


4. Add the marinade to the meat and stir well to combine. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer (e.g. overnight).


5. When ready to barbecue, slide the pieces of meat onto the wooden skewers. TIP: Fill only the upper half of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person barbecuing has a "handle". This makes it easier to turn the satay during cooking.


6. Barbecue the satay, OR grill in the oven on a broiling pan with the oven set to "broil". Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay will cook in 10 to 20 minutes. Garnish with slices of fresh red chilli, if desired.Serve with my Homemade Peanut Sauce for dipping.

Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (If vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce or regular soy sauce)
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tsp. red chilli sauce (more or less to taste)
• squeeze of fresh lime juice (about 1 tsp.)

PREPARATION:

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water.
Do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, and more chilli sauce if not spicy enough.

If too salty, add another squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Serve as a dip with fresh veggies, chicken or beef sate, fresh spring rolls, or mix with noodles to create a Thai-style noodle dish or cold noodle salad. Enjoy!