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Loading...Singapore's national comfort dish: whole chicken gently poached until silky and juicy, served over rice cooked in its own broth with ginger, garlic, and pandan. Three punchy condiments — chili, ginger-scallion, and dark soy — finish the plate.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time55 mins
Total Time75 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 620 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 6 gSaturated Fat
- 58 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 3 gSugar
- 42 gProtein
- 780 mgSodium
- 620 mgPotassium
- 80 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 18 mgVitamin C
- 90 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the poached chicken and broth
- 1 whole chicken (about 3.5 lb / 1.6 kg), giblets reserved
- 2 inches fresh ginger, smashed
- 6 scallions, whites smashed, greens reserved
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 8 cups water, plus more as needed
For the fragrant rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 2 tbsp rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 inch ginger, finely minced
- 2 pandan leaves, knotted
- 3 cups reserved chicken poaching liquid
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the chili dipping sauce
- 4 red Fresno chilies, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 tbsp reserved chicken broth
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the ginger-scallion oil
- 3 inches fresh ginger, finely minced
- 4 scallions, finely minced
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (canola or peanut)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For serving
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Directions
- Season the chicken inside and out with salt and stuff the cavity with the smashed ginger and scallion whites; let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Bring 8 cups water to a rolling boil in a large pot with the pandan leaves. Lower the chicken in breast-side down; when the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot water for 40 minutes (water should hold around 170°F).
- Lift the chicken out and immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water for 1 minute to tighten the skin, then drain. Strain the poaching liquid through a fine sieve and skim off any foam; reserve 3 cups for the rice and the rest for serving as soup.
- Make the rice: heat the chicken fat in a heavy pot or rice cooker insert, sauté the minced garlic and ginger over medium heat until fragrant and just golden, about 1 minute. Add the drained rice and stir to coat for 30 seconds, then pour in the 3 cups of reserved broth, add the pandan leaves and salt. Cover and cook on low heat (or rice cooker setting) for 18 minutes, then rest 5 minutes before fluffing.
- Make the chili sauce by blending the chilies, garlic, ginger, broth, lime juice, sugar, vinegar, and salt into a coarse sauce; taste and adjust salt and sugar.
- Make the ginger-scallion oil: pile the minced ginger and scallions in a heatproof bowl with the salt, heat the oil in a small pan until just smoking, then pour it over the aromatics — it should sizzle vigorously. Stir to combine.
- Brush the cooled chicken with the sesame oil for sheen, then chop through the bones with a sharp cleaver into bite-size pieces, keeping the skin intact.
- Plate each serving with a fan of cucumber slices, arrange the chicken pieces alongside, and mound the fragrant rice next to it. Serve with small bowls of chili sauce, ginger-scallion oil, dark soy, and a cup of the warm reserved broth garnished with cilantro and scallion greens.
Cook’s Notes
- The ice-water shock after poaching is the secret to glossy, taut chicken skin and locks in juices.
- Use the leftover poaching liquid as a light soup course — just season with a pinch of salt and white pepper.
- If you can't find pandan leaves, substitute a 1-inch piece of lemongrass, lightly bruised.
- For the most fragrant rice, toast the grains in the chicken fat until each grain looks translucent before adding the broth.
- Chili sauce keeps 5 days refrigerated in a jar; the ginger-scallion oil keeps 1 week.
