Ingredients
For the rice:
2 cups jasmine rice
2 tablepsoons rendered chicken fat
1/2 cup shallots, diced
1/4 cup garlic, minced
8 oz. ginger, thinly sliced
1 oz. galangal, thinly sliced
3 pandan leaves
4 1/4 cups chicken stock
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
1 gallon water
1/4 cup sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 whole head of garlic
6 oz. ginger, thinly sliced
6 pandan leaves
For the soup:
4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of Chinese winter squash, peeled and cut in cubes
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 tablespoon cilantro, diced
1 tablespoon green onion, diced
Directions
1. Clean and trim excess skin.
Cook chicken skin on medium heat until the fat completely renders out.
Keep the crispy chicken skins and rendered fat.
2. In a large pot, add water, salt, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pandan leaves and bring it to a boil.
Add chicken.
Bring it back to a boil again, and simmer for 35 minutes then remove from the pot and put aside.
When the timer goes off, gently separate the hip joint to check if the chicken is cooked: there should be no blood in the veins.
Rest out of the pot for at least 15 minutes before serving.
3. Make rice while the chicken cooks: on medium-high heat, add chicken fat, garlic, shallots, ginger, galangal, and pandan leaves.
Stir every 20 seconds, until aromatics and herbs are golden brown.
Add jasmine rice and stir until coated in chicken fat.
Toast rice on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Raise burner to high heat then add boiling chicken stock.
Stir rice constantly until it comes to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat.
Cover with a lid, and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until rice has cooked through.
4. For the soup: add chicken stock and Chinese winter squash.
Bring it to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
Add soy sauce to taste, some ground white pepper, cilantro and green onion to garnish when serving up
5. Combining the elements: Cut chicken and place on top of rice. Cucumbers and cilantro are recommended complements.
Chef’s note:
Recipe via Nong’s Khao Man Gai