Hainan Chicken

This dish can be served hot or cold or at room temperature.

1 whole chicken (completely thawed, cleaned but leave skin on)
1 sprig of spring onion (green onion)
1 star aniseed spice (whole)
1 segment of ginger 1/2 in. long (optional)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. light soy sauce

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 segment of ginger 1/2 in. long (chopped)
2 tbsp. of sambal olek (hot red pepper paste in vinegar - any oriental shop should carry this)

3 c. of rice (any kind that you like, I prefer fragrant long grain rice
4 c. of chicken stock (from making the chicken)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp. of cooking oil (any kind)
Salt to taste (I use 2 tsp.)
Sesame oil
Light soy sauce

Fill up a large stock pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring the water (without the chicken) to a boil. Put the spring onion, the star aniseed and the ginger into the cavity of the chicken. Bathe the chicken with the boiling water before lowering the whole chicken into the boiling water (this will help to wash away some of the fat and tighten the skin). Bring the stock to a hard boil (10 to 15 minutes). Switch off the fire and cover the pot. Leave standing for about 30 to 45 minutes (so that chicken will not be overcooked).

Fish out the chicken. Let cool and cut. Pour the sesame oil and soy sauce over the cut chicken. Garnish with chopped spring onion and cilantro (Chinese Italian flat leaf parsley). Serve with oyster sauce or the sauce given below.

Mix all the ingredients. Note: Serve the chicken and sauce separately.

Heat up a pan with the cooking oil and the garlic. Brown the garlic. add the rice. Stir the rice around until some of the rice turns opaque or until the rice is fragrant (this will produce rice that is not sticky). Add the chicken stock and salt and cook the rice (either in a rice cooker or on low flame) until the rice is done.

To serve, dish rice onto a plate, add a little (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) sesame oil and some (approximately 1 tablespoon) of light soy sauce. Toss before eating.

Add vegetable (s), eg. spinach, watercrest, cabbage, and you will have soup to go with this dish.

A nice light salad or cut up a cucumber or two. Add a little sesame oil and light soy sauce. Let it chill.