Hainanese chicken rice is a gem of a recipe adapted from early Chinese immigrants originally from the Hainan province in southern China. The dish is simple : bite-sized pieces of steamed white chicken, fragrant rice (it’s pre-fried in chicken fat and cooked in chicken broth), light or dark soy sauce, and a delicious ground chilli and ginger paste.
For the dish to sizzle as a whole all parts must be equally up to par or else it’ll easily slip into the realm of the mediocre. In fact, the accompanying ground chilli paste has the ability to make or break the dish; too hot will make for an uncomfortable dining experience, too mild will leave the dish tasting bland as a whole.
A lot of effort goes into the preparation of this flavourful dish, with cooks first steaming the chicken until it is fully cooked, before immediately soaking it in cold water. This stops the cooking process and ensures that the meat remains tender, and is also why the meat is usually served at room temperature.