An Iowan Incarnation
ingredients
1 plump chook, about 1.2-1.5 kg (cooking time will have to increase if any bigger) -washed and cleaned with tail removed.
2-3 slices ginger,\
1 garlic (the entire thing) finely minced
spring onion – 1-2 pieces for the chicken, and the rest finely sliced for the ginger & spring onion sauce
steps:
1) Place ginger spring onion and garlic pieces together with the neck of the chicken at the bottom of a large pot, and the chicken on top of them, with the breast facing up.
2) Pour in a kettle of boiling water, with enough water to cover at least 2/3 of the chicken. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
3) Boil on high heat and cover ( leave a small gap so it will not boil over)
4) When it is boiling nicely, lower heat to medium high(not too low) and boil for 25-30 mins. Longer if chicken is larger.
5) Prepare a basin of cold water in the sink.
6) When time is up, check chicken is cooked properly by turning it upside down (with breast facing down) and leave it in the water for 2=3 mins.) I think this is important if you are cooking for westerners as they do not like bloody chicken.
7) Lift the chicken out of the pot and dunk it in the cold water, fully immersed. Leave it there for 5 mins then lift it up onto a plate.
8) Drizzle the chicken with Shaoxing wine ( or cooking sherry or white wine) and sesame oil.
Rice:
1) While chicken is cooking, wash Jasmine long grain rice. Estimate 1.2 cup for every person, Plus 2 cups extra (people tend to eat more of the rice).
2) Drain the rice.
3) Dice i whole garlic into a fine mince.
4) Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and add the minced garlic. Fry till fragrant then add the rice.
5) Stir fry tossing conitnually till rice is partially cooked. You can tell when the rice grains start to “stand up”.
6) Set aside in the rice cooker.
7) Add in some pandan leaves tied in a knot if available.
8) When chicken stock is ready, add to rice (amount is roughly 2 ladles to 1 cup rice, or if using rice cooker just follow the guide according to the number of cups of rice used)
9) cook rice.
Condiments:
1) Chilli: pound fresh chilli (remove seeds if cannot take hot), or put in a blender.
2) Add Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), pinch of salt.
3) Ginger & Spring onion sauce:
4) 1 knob ginger grated finely
5) 1 bunch spring onion sliced very thinly
6) Mix together and add olive oil and sesame oil and 1 teasp salt.
7) Dark thick black soya sauce. add 1-2 pieces finely julienned spring onion (the white part) and sesame oil.
8) Chop up ckicken into bite sized pieces and drizzle with more sesame oil and bit of wine. garnish with spring onion &/or fresh coriander.
9) Serve with slices of cucumber and tomato and celery or lettuce.
Bon appetit!
Note: you cannot cook this dish without sesame oil and spring onion cos these cannot be subsituted.
