The Best Easy One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe – I Am A Food Blog

When you’re in search of your subsequent scrumptious, arms-off dinner, that is it: Hainanese rooster.

Have you ever ever had Hainanese rooster rice? Are you as obsessive about it as I am? I guess the reply is not any as a result of I have a deep, lifelong obsession with arroz con pollo.

it is my greatest consolation meals, my favourite meals of all time, my model of anton ego’s mother’s ratatouille. you recognize, the scene within the pixar film the place anton is taken again to her mom’s kitchen and she serves him ratatouille and all is correct with the world. that is hainanese rooster rice to me.

rooster and rice

each tradition has some form of rooster and rice. Japanese have oyakodon, Latin Individuals have arroz con pollo, and Southeast Asians (and Hainanians) have Hainan arroz con pollo. like most rooster and rice dishes, it is easy at coronary heart: poached rooster and seasoned rice served with quite a lot of sauces.

Like many immigrant-pleasant meals, there are literally many various kinds of Hainanese rooster rice: Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Thai. rising up, it was a staple in our home. rooster rice is the meals that may take me again to my childhood and transport me to a few of my favourite recollections as an grownup. I’m not ashamed to say that arroz con pollo is my all the things.

what’s hainanese rooster rice?

Hainanese rooster is deceptively easy but someway advanced. It originated in Hainan in southern China, however its religious house is Singapore, the place you may discover interpretations of the favored dish all over the place from hawker stalls to luxurious motels.

I would struggle to the demise to say that Hainanese rooster rice is one of the best model of rooster and rice there may be. it’s so humble, so tasty and so pure. At its coronary heart, Hainanese rooster rice is simply that: rooster and rice.

Poached in a easy however flavorful broth scented with ginger, garlic, and scallions, the rooster is silky, agency, and tastes like essentially the most good rooster you may ever style. the rice that comes with it ought to stand by itself: stuffed with rooster taste, smeared with fats, flavorful and aromatic.

what’s so particular about rice?

You must style it to consider it, however I suppose the key to why Hainanese Chicken Rice is so good is the rice. and the key of rice is rooster fats. Any good prepare dinner is aware of that once you prepare dinner rice in broth, the broth infuses the within of the grain, giving it further taste. many cultures do that, reminiscent of the way in which Mexican rice is cooked with tomatoes and onions. arroz con pollo goes a step additional by frying uncooked rice in rooster fats with garlic, shallots, and ginger earlier than cooking it in rooster broth, giving the rice one other layer of toasty, fragrant deliciousness. the rice needs to be shiny, scrumptious and stuffed with taste.

one of the best rice with rooster is the one you wish to make

There are numerous Hainan rooster rice recipes that require 24-hour (or longer) cures and different very difficult steps. It does not need to be this fashion, particularly for those who simply need good rooster rice and aren’t competing with a dozen different rooster rice hawkers in a market. It is the rice that you want to pay shut consideration to, and that is a straightforward factor that does not require lots of further time.

I personally love making rooster rice, I discover it therapeutic in a means. however generally i simply wish to eat rooster and rice with out cooking an entire rooster. this simple recipe is for these moments: boneless pores and skin-on rooster thighs and rice prepare dinner in a single pot for straightforward and much less dishwashing. win-win!

the key to nice Hainanese rooster rice

That is primary one pot Hainanese rooster rice with all the flavour and no fuss. the recipe begins with rooster fats. When you’re like me and love arroz con pollo and make it often, you may wish to maintain a jar of rendered rooster fats within the fridge. Even for those who’re not like me and do not wish to make rooster rice every single day of the week, you may wish to maintain a jar of rooster fats within the fridge. rooster fats is pure taste.

Chicken fats is what makes the rice that’s a part of arroz con pollo style so good. however, if you do not have rooster fats, don’t be concerned, roasting your rice in any fats will give it a brilliant, scrumptious layer of taste. the secret is to prepare dinner the ginger, garlic, and shallots in fats in order that the aromatics launch their deliciousness into the rice.

learn how to fatten rooster

Chicken fats is the important thing to an excellent Hainanese rooster rice. the rooster fats offers rice a lot taste that you just will not consider it.

1. scoop up. Take away extra pores and skin from rooster thighs. Anytime you could have a recipe that requires boneless, skinless rooster thighs, simply purchase bone-in, pores and skin-on rooster. bone and save the bones for inventory and save the pores and skin for rendering. I wish to freeze a large quantity and then make an enormous batch of rooster fats and crispy rooster pores and skin.
2. Chop. Utilizing a pointy knife, lower the pores and skin of the rooster into small 1/2-inch items. you may also use scissors for this.
3. shred slowly. place all rooster skins in a nonstick (or forged-iron) skillet, pot, or saucepan. I like to make use of a pot to maintain all the things from splattering, however it should go quicker in a skillet or skillet. cowl and prepare dinner over medium-low warmth for quarter-hour. the fats will start to dissolve and accumulate.
4. crispy. After you could have a pleasant glistening pool of fats, uncover the pan and flip the warmth as much as medium. let the pores and skin and fats prepare dinner, stirring and breaking apart often, till the pores and skin of the rooster begins to brown and char.
5. pressure. After all of the skins are golden brown, take away the pan from the warmth and use a fantastic mesh strainer over a heatproof liquid measuring cup to pressure the crispy pores and skin. rendered rooster fats is pure taste. if desired, return pores and skin to pan and brown additional. crispy rooster skins are one of the best. they may stay crisp as they cool, so do not prepare dinner them too lengthy. Retailer the strained fats in a jar within the fridge for a number of weeks and use it to make arroz con pollo.



rooster thigh vs rooster breast

however what in regards to the rooster? do you want an entire rooster? ought to i take advantage of darkish or gentle meat if solely going with particular person items? once more, this can be a private desire, however I suppose entire rooster will not be essential. the one query is, do you go along with thigh or breast?

once you’re in singapore, it’s a must to pay extra for darkish meat (thighs and drumsticks) as a result of the meat is silkier and extra tender. I positively desire thighs to rooster breasts when making arroz con pollo, however generally I like the feel of the breasts as effectively.

what sort of rooster for rooster rice?

rooster thighs are clearly superior, however they do not often promote boneless pores and skin-on rooster thighs. what I do is purchase bone-in thighs and trim the bones myself.

learn how to bone rooster thighs

just one bone must be faraway from a rooster thigh, so it is very simple.

1. Place rooster thigh, pores and skin facet down on a reducing board.
2. Discover the bone that runs the size of the thigh. use a pointy boning or paring knife alongside the facet of the bone to disclose it.
3. use the knife to scrape each side of the bone, being cautious to not lower throughout.
4. Tilt the tip of the knife beneath the bone and run the knife alongside the bone to chop by way of the top of the thigh. repeat on the opposite facet.

You should utilize the bones to make a easy rooster broth that can add much more taste to your Hainanese Chicken Rice. see under for recipe.

how do you eat hainanese rooster rice?

everybody eats it in another way! some folks wish to pour all three sauces on prime and combine all the things collectively, some folks solely use sure sauces, actually, it is as much as you. authentically, as with curry rice, it is often served on a plate with a spoon and fork, not a bowl and chopsticks, to scoop all the things up.



what to serve with hainanese rooster rice

historically, it’s served with the poaching broth that the rooster was cooked in, in addition to chili sauce, ginger scallion sauce (I saved it easy right here with a scallion-solely sauce), and darkish soy sauce. for those who’re in singapore, they will in all probability provide you with a few cucumbers and a sprig of coriander on prime.

selfmade hainan spring onion oil

Typically I maintain it easy with a pure chive oil, however when you have time to nibble on a couple of extra aromatics, a Ginger Garlic Chive Oil is an unforgettable umami bomb that you will wish to layer on all the things.

components

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup chives
• 1 tablespoon recent ginger
• 1/4 cup impartial oil
1. In a meals processor, or by hand, as you want, mince 4 garlic cloves, 2-3 scallions (about 1/2 cup), and 1 tablespoon recent ginger. place all the things in a deep heatproof container.
2. Within the smallest pot you could have, warmth 1/4 cup impartial oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium warmth till it reaches 275°F. You can even take a look at for warmth by putting an uncoated wood toothpick within the oil. for those who see small air bubbles escaping from the toothpick into the oil, it needs to be sizzling sufficient.
3. Fastidiously take away pot from range and pour over chive combination. it should sizzle and bubble. stir to coat, and season with salt to style.

Hainanese Garlic Chili Sauce

components

• 2 fresno peppers (or different crimson peppers)
• 1 Thai chili
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1″ ginger
• 2-3 tablespoons rooster broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1. In a meals processor, chop 2 fresno chiles, 1 thai chile, 2 garlic cloves, and a 1-inch piece of ginger till clean. add 2-3 tablespoons of rooster broth, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. add salt to style.

Hainanese ginger sauce

That is totally different from chive oil and I make it when I need a pure ginger taste. It isn’t too spicy as a result of cooking the ginger softens it up. It is a “clear” taste sauce good for Hainanese rooster rice purists.

components

• 1/4 cup recent ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup impartial oil
• 2 teaspoons rendered rooster fats
• salt, to style
1. Within the smallest pot you could have, warmth 1/4 cup impartial oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium warmth till it reaches 275°F. You can even take a look at for warmth by putting an uncoated wood toothpick within the oil. for those who see small air bubbles escaping from the toothpick into the oil, it needs to be sizzling sufficient.
2. Take away the pot from the warmth and add the ginger. it should sizzle and bubble. the ginger needs to be mushy and tender. add rendered rooster fats and season to style with salt.

professional suggestions

Listed below are a few of my suggestions for making arroz con pollo. I do it a lot it is virtually second nature to me!

use a meals processor

I love to do the prep work, however a meals processor makes all the things simpler and extra satisfying. There are such a lot of aromatics in Hainanese Chicken Rice and it is the aromatics that make all the things style superb so you will not wish to skip it. a meals processor will lower prep time in half. that is the mini we use often.

save the fats out of your rooster!

I have a frozen bag of frozen rooster fats/pores and skin within the freezer. that is in all probability not so unusual to individuals who know the way superb rooster fats is. I add it any time I’m trimming rooster or if I want skinless rooster in a recipe. rooster with pores and skin on is less expensive than skinless, so I simply take away the pores and skin at residence and fortunately add it to my stash. when the bag is full, I extract the fats, retailer it within the fridge in a clear jar, and take it out to make use of when I get a yearning for arroz con pollo. crispy rooster skins are eaten virtually instantly. having a inventory of rooster fats within the fridge means you are by no means too removed from arroz con pollo.

use selfmade rooster broth

That is my cheat model of Hainanese Chicken Rice, so it requires retailer-purchased rooster broth. however the reality is, similar to my countless provide of rooster fats, i even have an countless provide of hainanese rooster broth in my freezer. To make selfmade Hainanese Chicken Inventory, use trimmed rooster bones:

1. place as many trimmed rooster bones as you could have in a deep pot and cowl with water till it covers the bones by 2 inches.
2. add 1 inch ginger, sliced; 1 shallot, halved, 2 garlic cloves, crushed; and 1 entire inexperienced onion.
3. Deliver to a simmer over medium warmth and when there are a lot of bubbles, cowl and decrease the warmth.
4. simmer for 1 hour. when the hour is up, pressure the broth. use selfmade Hainanese rooster broth as directed within the recipe.

make it within the rice cooker

for those who’re not a fan of cooking rice on the range, you’ll be able to nonetheless make this pot of rooster and rice:

1. fry the rice in rooster fats, together with the ginger, garlic and shallot till shiny.
2. add the fried rice to your rice cooker and add the rooster broth, rooster, and inexperienced onion.
3. Place rice cooker in place and prepare dinner till rice is completed cooking.
4. Let the rice and rooster keep heat (on the maintain heat setting) for 10 minutes earlier than opening, fluffing and having fun with.

rooster cooked to perfection

I desire to make use of boneless rooster for this fast and simple model as a result of the boneless thighs end concurrently the rice, making it fast and simple. if you wish to use bone-in rooster, make certain the rooster is heat (not straight from the fridge) once you add it to the pan. prepare dinner the rooster and rice for an extra 5 minutes and steam with the lid on for an extra 5 minutes. the rice might be on the softer facet.

tremendous silky Hainanese rooster pores and skin

one thing folks love about Hainanese rooster is the tremendous mushy and silky rooster pores and skin. it’s delicate, tender and scrumptious. In singapore, if the rooster is gelatinous and silky, it’s thought-about good. The secret to tremendous silky rooster pores and skin is a mix of salt scrubbing and temperature management. Since we’re making a one-pot Hainanese rooster, I’ll be speaking largely in regards to the salt wash, however I’ll additionally evenly point out the significance of an ice bathtub.

salt scrub

The very first thing to do, for those who’re in search of tremendous mushy pores and skin, is to present your rooster an excellent salt rub. sprinkle a beneficiant quantity of coarse salt and scrub the pores and skin of the rooster, ensuring the salt will get into all of the nooks and crannies of the pores and skin. after scrubbing, rinse any extra salt from the pores and skin (so the rooster does not get too salty) and the rooster pores and skin ought to look firmer, cleaner, and general very fairly. this works nice on entire chickens, but additionally works on lower up rooster items. do it, it should positively make a distinction.



temperature management

As for the opposite key facet of silky pores and skin, it is temperature management. this recipe is for tremendous easy hainanese rooster and rice, however once you make it historically (as i do too) you utilize an entire rooster and gently poach it. After scrubbing and salt-rubbing, the rooster is gently submerged in a pot of simmering water and aromatics (scallions, ginger, garlic, shallots) till cooked by way of. instantly after, the rooster is positioned in an ice water bathtub. the warmth and then the chilly hit the pores and skin of the rooster, pulling it towards its physique. the pores and skin might be silky and good!



When the rooster rice is finished proper, you hardly want the rooster! mike just about simply eats big bowls of rice with no rooster in any respect, that is how good it’s. I hope you give this recipe a strive, it is the right consolation meals for these chilly fall days.

rooster rice eternally and ever, xoxo steph