Carrot, Ginger and Rice Soup
Strengthens the nervous system and calms the stomach.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Strictly speaking, this cult dish of Chinese cuisine is much more than a soup: the chicken is cooked in it, and so is the rice. And at the end you drink the hot, clear soup with it.
For the soup:
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | chicken, quartered, plus carcass | |
| 15 | cm | ginger, peeled and sliced |
| 5 | whole spring onions, roughly chopped | |
| 1 | teaspoon(s) | roasted sesame oil |
For the rice:
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 400 | g | long grain rice |
| 2 | tablespoon(s) | rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil |
| 3 | garlic cloves, very finely chopped | |
| 2 1/2 | cm | ginger, peeled and very finely chopped |
| 1/2 | teaspoon(s) | roasted sesame oil |
| 480 | ml | chicken soup |
| sea salt | ||
For the chilli sauce
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tablespoon(s) | fresh lime juice |
| 60 | ml | chicken soup |
| 2 | teaspoon(s) | granulated sugar |
| 60 | ml | Sriracha chilli sauce |
| 1 - 2 | garlic cloves, chopped | |
| 2 1/2 | ginger, peeled and thinly sliced | |
| salt | ||
To serve:
| Ingredients (4 servings) | ||
|---|---|---|
| dark soy sauce | ||
| 1 | cucumber, thinly sliced | |
| coriander sprigs | ||
| spring onions, thinly sliced | ||
- To make the broth, stuff the carcass with ginger slices and spring onions. Place with the chicken pieces in a pot that just fits, and fill with water to 2.5 inches above the meat.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Have a pot of iced water ready to dip the pieces of meat into and leave to cool for 3 to 4 minutes.
- This creates the traditionally firm texture of the meat for which this dish is famous. As soon as the meat has cooled down, remove from the water.
- Rub with sesame oil and slice with a meat cleaver or Chinese chef's knife. Remove the carcass, ginger and onions from the pot and set aside the broth, covered. Soak the rice in plenty of cold water for 15 minutes and then drain.
- Heat the chicken fat or oil in a saucepan, sauté the garlic and ginger until soft, but not golden brown.
- Add the drained rice, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add sesame oil, mix well and add 480ml of broth and a little salt. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let steep covered for about 10 minutes.
- For the chilli sauce mix all ingredients until smooth.
- There should be 1.5 litres of reserved broth left to serve as soup. Just before serving, heat the soup until it is piping hot and season with salt to taste.
- Use a little of the soup in a pan to carefully heat the slices of meat until lukewarm.
- Serve the chicken and rice with the chilli sauce, soy sauce, cucumber slices and a bowl of hot soup garnished with coriander or spring onion.
