Marion Grasby's Thai chicken rice (khao mun gai)

Chicken rice is a comfort street food found all over Southeast Asia, all tracing back to Hainanese chicken rice. The Thai version features tender poached chicken served on the rice with spicy nahm jim sauce.

Credit: Sippakorn Wongthanapa

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken 
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 litres chicken stock 
• 3 slices ginger 
• 2 spring onions, cut into large batons
• Sliced cucumber, to serve
• Coriander sprigs, to serve

Nahm jim dipping sauce

• 3 coriander roots, well cleaned
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 2 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped 
• 2 tbsp Thai soybean paste (see Note) 
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar 
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander 
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Thai black soy sauce or kecap manis
• ½ tsp white sugar 
• 3 birdseye chillies, finely chopped 

Rice

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¼ cup chicken skin and fat trimmings (remove these from the whole chicken or alternatively use some finely diced skin-on chicken thigh) 
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 
• 400 g (2 cups) jasmine rice 

Instructions

1. Remove as much excess skin and fat from the chicken as possible. Reserve the trimmings for later. Rub the chicken with the sea salt.
2. Place the chicken stock in a large pot with the ginger and spring onion. Add the chicken to the pot and top up with enough water to just cover. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer. As soon as the water comes to the simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 1 hour, occasionally skimming any foam from the surface.
3. Meanwhile, to make the dipping sauce, use a mortar and pestle to pound the coriander roots, garlic and salt into a fine paste. Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
4. Use tongs to lift the chicken out of the braising liquid (be careful because it will be hot) and place onto a chopping board or plate. Set aside until ready to serve.
5. To make the rice, heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken trimmings and allow them to sizzle for about 5 minutes or until golden and the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the chicken trimmings. Add the rice and 560 ml (2¼ cups) of the chicken braising liquid and bring it to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
6. To serve, cut the legs and wings off the chicken. Cut the breast meat off in 2 large pieces. Use a rolling pin to lightly pound the breast meat to tenderise it, then thickly slice against the grain.
7. Serve the chicken meat with the rice, coriander sprigs, sliced cucumber, nahm jim dipping sauce and a small bowl of the chicken cooking broth.

Note

Thai soybean paste is also known as yellow soy bean sauce. It’s made from fermented crushed soybeans, wheat and salt. You can find it at Asian supermarkets or online.

Watch how to make this recipe in Episode 5 of Marion Grasby's Flavours Of Heart & Home streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.