"There is nothing that epitomises home cooking and the feeling of comfort more than Hainanese chicken rice. It's delicious, it's restorative and it absolutely speaks of home to me," says Poh Ling Yeow of Hainanese chicken rice, a dish that's much-loved in Malaysia and Singapore, with versions also popular in other neighbouring countries (and Australia!). Adam Liaw says it's "part of his family history".
The dish takes its name from the Chinese island of Hainan, carried by residents who travelled to Singapore and Malaysia. The key elements are tender poached chicken, rice cooked using the chicken poaching stock, and accompanying sauces.
Ready to "poach' some ideas for making this comfort classic? Read on for Poh's Hainanese chicken rice, a family recipe from Adam Liaw, Dan Hong's version (and a nasi goreng twist, too), plus versions from Thailand and Vietnam.
Simplified Hainanese chicken rice
"It’s not just about a dish that I enjoy eating, it’s a part of my family history. It tells a story of who came here [to Singapore], where they came from, and what they did. And even though I’ve probably eaten my grandmother’s version about a thousand times, there’s always room to learn from someone else: in this case a cousin on my father’s Hainanese side of the family,” says Adam Liaw of this recipe, shared as part of Destination Flavour Singapore, when he visits a cousin who had been making Hainanese chicken rice for more than 30 years.
Poh's Hainanese chicken rice
"If you are a lover of chicken and comfort food, I doubt you will find another dish that celebrates both quite so thoroughly... It’s such a simple meal to make and, if you don’t count the poaching time, only takes 20 minutes to put together," says Poh Ling Yeow, who likes to serve her version with punchy red and green sauces.
Dan's Hainanese chicken rice
Dan Hong, who shared this recipe on The Streets with Dan Hong, says the secret to juicy chicken is to poach it gently, and give it a quick dunk in iced water to stop the cooking process. He serves his version with a chilli, ginger, garlic and lime sauce.
Hainanese chicken nasi goreng
Dan Hong also offers a twist on Hainanese chicken rice by creating a mashup with another classic: nasi goreng!
Quick Hainanese chicken rice
For an easy take on Hainanese chicken rice, try this version made with bone-in chicken thigh cutlets, shared by Nina Korbe on the new season of The Cook Up with Adam Liaw (look out for season 9, episode 20, 'Rice & Quick', on SBS Food and at SBS On Demand from 31 March).
Food Safari's Hainanese chicken rice
This Singaporean recipe adds pandan to the rice, and serves the chicken with chilli and ginger sauces. Like most recipes for this chicken classic, cucumber slices add fresh crunch.
Marion Grasby's Thai chicken rice (khao mun gai)
If you love Hainanese chicken rice, you'll love it's Thai cousin. "Chicken rice is one of those street food dishes I crave the most when I’m back in Australia. It’s everywhere in Bangkok and it’s cheap, comforting and always good," says Marion Grasby. "You’ll find versions all over Southeast Asia, from Malaysia to Singapore, all tracing back to Hainanese chicken rice. The Thai version though? It’s my favourite. Tender poached chicken served on the rice with that spicy nahm jim sauce. This is my homemade version for when I need a taste of Bangkok street food."
Cơm gà Hải Nam
Vietnam also has a version - Cơm gà Hải Nam literally translates to Hainanese chicken rice, says Duncan Lu, who shares his recipe, a combination of his mother's and his aunt's recipes, and the story behind it, here.
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