WHAT CAME FIRST? THE CHICKEN OR THE RICE?…
By Peter G • Jan 26th, 2007 • Category: Recipes
I had a smile on my face as I prepared the above dish. Here I was, an Australian of Greek descent, cooking Singapore Chicken Rice. On Australia Day!!! While everyone was out having barbecues, I awoke from a jetlagged slumber craving comfort food. My comfort food cravings or CFC for short, always depend on the weather. In winter think of casseroles and mash. During Sydney’s sub tropical summer, I prefer South East Asian food.
Having spent a number of years on and off in Singapore and Bangkok, I developed a love for a certain number of dishes. One in particular is the classic Singapore Chicken Rice. This dish needs its own bodyguard when it appears on a menu. Yes, it’s that famous!!! Recipes and cooking methods have been passed down through years, each one bearing its own signature. Trying to get a “standard” recipe for this is impossible. However, through my sleuthing at various outdoor hawker venues in Singapore and a bit of internet searching I’ve come up with this. It in no way resembles the ones you will eat in Singapore. I try to make mine healthy by removing the skin. Also, the “original” recipe calls for the rice to be cooked in chicken fat. I think I’ll leave that to Homer Simpson.
Here’s what you’ll need.
1 small chicken (a larger one for a bigger crowd). I use Lilydale Farm chooks
a few cloves of garlic
coriander roots
Fill up a largish pot with water about halfway. When it comes to the boil throw in the cleaned out chicken along with the garlic and coriander roots. Allow it to cook on a medium heat for about 40 minutes. Switch it off and walk away. Let it rest in there for about 1 hour. After the resting time, take the chicken out, let it drain and then brush it with sesame oil. I prefer to use a roasted sesame oil. Leave it to cool down. While this is happening, prepare some steamed rice. Use a rice cooker or any method you wish. Just make sure its not too sloppy. The grains should separate when you lift them with a fork. I like to accompany this dish with a home made robust chilli sauce.
For the chilli sauce you will need
3-5 medium chillies
2 cloves of garlic
half a knob of ginger
a few good splashes of white vinegar
a tablespoon of sugar
a squirt of ketchup
Blend or process all of the above until it becomes pulpy.
Cut up the chicken and remove the bones and skin. Blanch some gai lan or other chinese green vegetable and serve on the side with chicken, steamed rice, chilli sauce and kecap manis (a thick Indonesian sweet soy sauce). You may wish to cut up some cucumber and serve some of the broth separately.
Now!! Doesn’t that feel better? My CFC’s are satisfied.
Now lets have some Pavlova for dessert…
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Peter G is a passionate foodie of Greek descent living in Australia. You'll usually find him cooking up a storm in the kitchen and photographing all his exploits.
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