In the food world, Singapore is almost synonymous with Chicken Rice, which – in Singapore – is known as Hainanese Chicken Rice. This has been cause for much confusion for me growing up – is it a local dish? Or is it an import from China? To add to the confusion, my father then visited Hainan, and came home to report that there wasn’t really a Hainanese Chicken Rice in Hainan, just like there really isn’t a Singapore Noodle in Singapore.
So what is this mysterious dish?
Well, Hainanese Chicken Rice is actually the name for a dish – invented in Singapore – by immigrant Hainanese chefs. These foreign chefs cast the multitudes of influences that were available in Singapore – we were a nation of immigrants, after all – and came up with many local dishes that have since become staples in the country.
Don’t let the simple presentation fool you, though. This dish takes a lot of work to prepare – a good chicken isn’t overcooked, but is cooked just enough to make it safe to eat – and the resulting stock is used in the many condiments that local Singaporeans take for granted.
To properly enjoy this dish, I always like to mix in 1 part black sauce, 1 part ginger sauce and 2 parts chilli sauce, ’til each mouthful of the fragrant rice has specks of red, black and white. For good measure, mix in the dressing that is ladled generously over the poached chicken for an extra juicy spoonful.
- For the chicken
- 1 Chicken (1.5kg)
- 4L water
- 1L chicken stock
- 60g ginger, peeled and sliced
- 5 stalks of Spring Onion
- 2 Asian Eschallots, peeled and halved
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 cup salt to clean the chicken with
- For the Rice
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 4 cups (1L) chicken stock (from cooking the chicken)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 10g ginger, sliced
- 2 tbsp sesame seed oil
- 3 tbsp chicken fat
- For the Chilli Sauce
- 60g ginger, peeled and sliced
- 10 long red chillies, seeded
- 2 large cloves of garlic, sliced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 10 tbsp (200ml) chicken stock from cooking the chicken
- For the Ginger Sauce
- 95g ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame seed oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 200ml chicken stock
- For the chicken dressing
- 1/4 cup (60ml) light soy sauce
- 1/2 cup (125ml) Chinese Cooking Wine
- 1 cup (250ml) Chicken stock from cooking the chicken
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- For the black sauce
- 6 tbsp karamel masakan (cooking soy caramel, not as sweet as kecap manis]
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- For the Chicken
- Rub the chicken thoroughly all over - including the cavity - with the cup of salt. Coarse salt is best if you can get your hands on it. Rinse off the salt.
- Stuff the chicken with 40g of ginger, and all of the spring onions.
- Place the rest of the ingredients for the poaching liquid - I used a non-circulated sous vide machine - and fully submerge the chicken. Poach for 3 hours, at 64C.
- Rest the chicken while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Reduce the poaching liquid till there's only 2L of liquid left. Retain the fat from the chicken that has rendered into the poaching liquid.
- For the rice
- Heat the sesame seed oil and chicken fat in a large pot and lightly sautée the garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add the rice, stock, and salt, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed. If you have access to pandan leaves, tie them into a knot and simmer them with the rice.
- For the chilli sauce
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor and process till it becomes a fine sauce
- For the ginger sauce
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor and process till it becomes a fine sauce.
- For the chicken dressing
- Mix the soy sauce and cooking wine in a small saucepan and reduce by half. Add the cup of chicken stock, lime juice and warm through.
- For the black sauce
- Mix all the ingredients till smooth.
- I've used Australian limes, which are much larger and less sweet than Singaporean limes. If you can get a hold of Singaporean limes, use 2 of them to make up 1 Australian lime.
- I've also used a sous vide machine as it was going to get me the best result for the least amount of fuss. You can also bring the liquid up to a rolling boil, turn off the heat, and place the whole chicken in the hot liquid. Techniques vary, but it is very important that the chicken reaches the minimum of the 64C mark. If you are using a sous vide machine, it is best not to use a circulated model - there will be pieces of ginger and eschallots floating around in the poaching liquid that will clog up your circulator.
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Our Bucket List for Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore
Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice
Source: Yosoynuts
Boon Tong Kee does a Cantonese style of chicken rice, which apparently uses younger chickens than Hainanese chicken rice. Personally, I can’t entirely tell the difference, but they do do a delicious plate of chicken, as well as other accompanying dishes such as crispy tofu to complement your meal.
Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice
401 Balestier Road
Phone: +65 6254 3937
Web:http://www.boontongkee.com.sg
Five Star Chicken Rice
Source: Daisuke Horie
This is a favourite chicken rice joint for the late night eaters. Typically patronised by relatively young Singaporeans who stay out really late, they provide a decent plate of Chicken Rice with all the trimmings. If you’re after a more balanced meal, they also have a variety of other cooked-to-order dishes that you can choose from the menu too.
Five Star Chicken Rice
419 River Valley Road
Phone: +65 6235 6760
Web: http://www.fivestarchickenrice.com
Tian Tian Chicken Rice
Source: Mechie Choa
To be really honest, this chicken rice stall is on the list because, well, everyone talks about it. Seems to be a must-try, although I’ve never actually been to it myself. But it’s gotta be famous for a reason right?
Tian Tian Chicken Rice
443 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427656
Phone: +65 6345 9443
Web: www.tiantianchickenrice.com
Tong Fong Fatt Boneless Chicken Rice
This little shop located in 409 Ang Mo Kio Food Centre not only has long lines snaking round the hawker centre often, it also usually sells out before dinner. I like going here not only because it’s balanced and delicious, but also because you can get awesome barbecued chicken wings from Chong Pang Huat round the corner.
Tong Fong Fatt Boneless Chicken Rice
Ave 10 Blk 409 Ang Mo Kio
Ming Kee Chicken Rice
This chicken rice stall also constantly features a queue – it’s just what we do for food in Singapore, or for anything, for that matter – but I love the tender chicken here, as well as the option to go for rice porridge as well. Wanna eat like a local? Order a side of crunchy chicken gizzards to go with your meal.
Ming Kee Chicken Rice
Kim San Leng Coffee Shop
511 Bishan Street 13
Singapore 570511
Nan Xiang Chicken Rice
Nan Xiang Chicken Rice is known more for their ginger sauce and rice. They reportedly fry the rice grains before cooking the rice, adding an extra dimension of flavour and texture to it. Go here because you can not only get a good plate of chicken rice, but Whampoa Hawker centre also houses another stall that does great Char Kway Teow.
Nan Xiang Chicken Rice
#01-21, Whampoa Drive Makan Place (Whampoa Food Centre)
90 Whampoa Drive
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