Last Sunday we hung out with the lovely Yum Seng family who also happen to live down the road from us. They showed us how to make their Sunday lunch, Malaysian Chicken rice with all the trimmings. We used one of our favourite corn-fed chickens that you can find in our shop. We HIGHLY recommend taking a look at the Yum Seng website and ordering one of their dim sum and cocktail kits. We LOVE them.
Serves 4-6 (depending on greediness!)
For the chicken:
1 large whole chicken
1 onion, halved
2 star anise
Large piece of ginger, peeled
Cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods
3 bunches spring onions
1/2 large daikon, peeled and chopped into large pieces
4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Large handful coriander, roughly chopped
Soy sauce and sesame oil to taste to season
For the rice:
Excess fat from the chicken cut into pieces
2 banana shallots, very finely chopped
Thumb sized piece ginger, very finely chopped
500g jasmine rice, rinsed
For the spring onion dip:
3 bunches spring onions
Large knob ginger
Two tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons sesame oil
For the chilli sauce:
3 red large red chillies
1 clove garlic
Small knob ginger
Splash rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Cucumber and toasted sesame seeds to serve.
Start with the chicken:
Char the onion, star anise, cinnamon bark, piece of ginger and a couple of black cardamon pods with a blowtorch or in a hot oven. Add them to a pot of water along with the spring onions and a large piece of ginger.
Take the chicken, salt the cavity, and stuff a bunch of spring onions inside. When water is boiling, gently lower the chicken in the water. Bring to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Scoop out any scum and then put the lid on. Leave the chicken to cook in the residual heat for one hour.
Check the thighs after one hour. It should read over 72C on a meat thermometer or the juices should run clear. Once cooked, plunge the chicken in an ice bath for one minute. This causes the skin on the chicken to tighten and stay intact when you cut the meat.
Debone the chicken and slice accordingly and plate. Put the chicken carcass back into the stock and continue to simmer along with the daikon.
Season the chicken generously with soy sauce and sesame sauce. Add a couple tablespoons of Chinese wine (or sherry). Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and coriander.
For the rice:
Cut off excess skin from chicken and fry in a pan to release the chicken fat. Mince ginger, garlic, shallots and fry in the chicken fat. Add washed jasmine rice and fry in the mixture.
Add 750ml the cooking stock from the chicken, cover and simmer until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is soft and fluffy.
In Melacca, a colonial port town two aways outside Kuala Lumpur, they have become famous for chicken rice balls. The compacted rice balls are great to dip in the sauces and kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce). Easiest way is to get a small freezer bag, add a big spoonful of rice and compact it into a corner of the bag. Keep squeezing it until it becomes a compacted ball.
For the spring onion dip:
Chop the spring onions and slice a large knob of ginger into thin matchstick strips. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Add the spring onions and a cup of chicken stock. Reduce the stock and really soften the spring onion. Add the ginger and a punch of sea salt. Fold in a generous amount of sesame oil and transfer to a small bowl until ready to serve.
For the chilli sauce:
In a microprocessor, mince red chillies, garlic, ginger. Add a splash of rice vinegar. Add to half a cup of chicken stock and brown sugar. Heat and reduce to a thicker consistency.
To serve:
Place the rice in a large bowl. If you've made rice balls, add them to the plate with the chicken along with some sliced cucumber and scatter over some coriander and sesame seeds.
Ladle the chicken stock with a few pieces of daikon into bowls to serve alongside.
Made this? Tag us in your photos on Instagram @cookandfeastlondon and @yumseng.cheers
Bye from Zola!!
