Recipes

This is intended for the team members of "Team Amateur". For easy sharing, I've decided put the recipes of the extras I prepared on this blog. All measurements are not precise because I normally just taste and adjust as I go along.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

The chicken
Ingredients:
Chicken stock
Scallions (to taste)
Garlic (to taste)
Ginger (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Chickens
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Scallions
Cilantro

I start with a chicken stock (or water and chicken backs). Flavour stock with scallions, garlic, ginger and salt to taste. Cook chickens in stock. Most Chinese cooks prepare the chicken such that there is sometimes still a touch (just a touch) of pink at the bone of the thigh - this prevents the breast of the chicken from being too stringy and dry. The proper technique is to take the chickens out when done and immediately dunk them in a salted ice bath just long enough to stop the cooking process. Then take them out and rub sesame oil over the skin. This prevents discolouration and drying out. Do not butcher until ready to serve. (Obviously I didn't quite follow the proper technique...). 15 min before serving, cut into pieces and dress in sesame oil, soy sauce, scallions and cilantro.

The rice
The ingredients:
Garlic, half a large bulb
Ginger, about the same quantity as garlic
Long grain rice, pref Jasmine, about 4 cups
Rendered chicken fat (enough to coat rice, say half cup)
Chicken stock, about 6 cups or so
Pandan leaf. 2 (optional, but adds lots of flavour)
Salt (to taste)

When cleaning the chickens, I would cut out and reserve any excess fat I can find (lots near the neck, around the skin of the neck, and near the butt). Render this fat in a dry pan without excessive browning. Remove chicken skin remnants. Puree the garlic and ginger together, then fry this garlic and ginger in the fat until aromatic, but not coloured. Pour dry uncooked rice into the fat and fry until some of the grains turn opaque - this shows the fat is being absorbed. There should be just enough fat to coat every grain evenly. Pour rice mixture into pot or rice cooker, add stock, salt, and pandan leaf, anf cook until done.

The chilli sauce (or relish)
(Will - if you bottle some variation of this, you have to send me one.)
Ingredients:
Red mild chillis or red bell peppers, 1 part
Garlic, 1 part
Ginger, 1 part
Thai bird or habernaro chillis, to taste
Lime juice, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
Sugar, to taste
Kaffir lime leaf, 2, rib removed (optional)

Blitz everything in a blender until smooth. It is meant to be a dip but I think it's probably fine to leave some of the red pepper pieces chunky if preferred.


Sweet and Sour Sauce
(This is for Lisa.)

Ingredients:
Ketchup
Zhejiang vinegar (or white rice vinegar is fine)
Sugar
Chilli puree or Tabasco sauce
Pomagranate molasses (optional)
Soy sauce
Cornstarch mixture

Mix all of the above except cornstarch solution to taste (Sorry it's so imprecise). I would use a vegetable base of garlic, onions, bell peppers, chillis and some acidic fruit (like pineapple or strawberries) for the sweet-sour, and thicken with the cornstarch mixture The main protein is usually deep-fried in a light batter or dry cornflour coating before being mixed with the sauce, but grilled items work as well for a low fat version.