Hainanese Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (1.2-1.6kg) or 600-800 grams chicken meat

• 2-inch fresh ginger, half sliced half smashed

• 6 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 tbsp salt

• 2 pandan leaves

• soy sauce, lime juice, chilli oil for dipping sauce

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken, sliced ginger, half the garlic, and salt in a large pot.. Pour water till making sure the chicken is fully submerged.
2. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and let the chicken simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
3. Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board or platter. Let the chicken cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
4. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. Return the strained liquid to the pot and bring it back to a gentle simmer over low heat. Add the pandan leaves and let the liquid infuse for 5-10 minutes. You can use some of the poaching liquid for preparing steamed rice.
5. Once the cooked chicken cool enough to handle, use your fingers to gently shred the meat off the bones. Try to keep the chicken pieces in larger, bite-sized chunks.
6. To serve, arrange the shredded chicken on a serving platter. Ladle some of the hot poaching liquid over the chicken. You can enjoy it with steamed rice and a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, lime juice, chilli oil, garlic, and smashed ginger.