Chicken Rice

Chicken Rice

Chicken rice can be found anywhere in Singapore, from hawker stalls, franchised outlets to restaurants. This tasty and reasonably priced food is one of the daily meal choices of locals and tourists.

Hainanese Chicken Rice certainly knows the key to achieving the perfect plate of greasy goodness, winning the hearts of many chicken rice fans.

A plate of chicken rice from the local coffee stall/shop may cost around from $3 that come with a bow of soup. Half a chicken usually costs around $12 to $13  and a whole piece of chicken cost $24. Some may offer side dish like bean sprout & xiao bai chai(green vegetable). Which is usually selling at $2 to $3 per plate.

Some of the top restaurant is selling at a much higher price from $15 to $33 per plate of chicken rice with some vegetable and a bow of chicken soup.

The chicken rice is cooked in the chicken stock to perfection that give a very nice and fragrance smell. The rice has a chewy ,sticky and tasty feeling.

During lunch time at Tanjong Pagar Food Market 2^nd floor located near the Tanjong Pagar MRT station I can see people queueing to purchase the chicken rice from the quite famous chicken rice stall.

Costs just $3 ..

                       

The other famous chicken rice stall is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice which is located at 

Maxwell Food Centre. A popular place where tourist goes there to try some of the Singapore Local foods.

Cost about $3 - $5 .

                                         

Another famous high class chicken rice is known as Chatterbox which is located at level 5 of Mandarin Orchard.A 5 star hotel in the heart of Orchard, Chatterbox offers a high-end dining experience. This hotel restaurant has been famous for chicken rice since 1971, and is known as a favorite of celebrities and even local government officials.

The plate of chicken rice will cost you $33..

                              

The Hainanese Chicken Rice

The Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that consists of succulent steamed white chicken that is cut into bite-size pieces and served on fragrant rice with some light soy sauce. The dish is topped with sprigs of coriander leaf and sesame oil, and accompanied by a delicious garlic-chilli dip.

The History

The only type of chicken rice found in Hainan, an island off the southern coast of China, is made with the Wengcheng chicken – a bony fowl with very little flesh – and served with rice thick with oil and accompanied by ground green-chilli dip. Hainanese chefs also use pork- and chicken-bone stock unlike their Singapore counterparts who avoid the pork base in their chicken rice. Therefore, the Hainanese chicken-rice dish probably evolved through the Hainanese immigrants in the region and gained from local influences such as the Cantonese. The Cantonese added lime to the chilli sauce and ensured that their chickens were tender and young. The Hainanese chicken-rice dish is said to have taken root in areas like Middle Road, Purvis Street and Koek Road more than 60 years ago.

The Description

The rich flavour of the rice comes from the grains that have been pre-fried in chicken fat and then cooked in chicken broth. The chicken is steamed until it is just cooked, with a little pink remaining on the flesh near the bones. While the cut chicken is served on a large dish, the rice is set on individual plates. Alternatively, dark-brown roasted chicken is also served with the specially cooked rice. The dish is accompanied with a chilli sauce made up of chillies, chicken broth, garlic and ginger. A thick broth of chicken stock garnished with a sprinkle of spring onions is also a must.

An early version of the dish had rice compacted into balls. The rice balls are made of shorter-grained rice, after being cooked in a large metal pot with pandan leaves and ginger slices, which is then shaped into balls with bare hands before it grows cold. The rice balls made it easier for a travelling peddler to serve his clients, as he did away with plates and could easily wrap the balls in banana leaves. The rice balls are now seldom seen in Singapore.

Chicken Rice In Singapore

So peculiar is the chicken rice to Singapore that in the West it is sometimes known as the "Singapore chicken rice". A dish that began as a common peddler's ware, it is now a specialty dish at some hotels. At certain food centres it has become customary to hang the stripped chicken bones in rows to impress customers with the number of chickens sold.

(Author - Suchitthra Vasu,Ref: Hutton, W. (1989). Singapore Food (p. 148). Singapore: Times Books International,)

You may try to make the chicken rice at home:

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 (1 inch) pieces fresh ginger root, peeled
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups long grain rice, rinsed and drained
• cilantro sprigs
• sliced green onion
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

Method 

1.     Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Crush 3 cloves of garlic and 2 pieces of ginger, and place them into the cavity of the chicken. Tie the green onions into a knot, and place them into the chicken along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Carefully submerge the chicken breast side down into the water.

2.     Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand covered for 40 minutes, turning the chicken over half way through.

3.     While the chicken is cooking, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the shallots, ginger, and garlic in the oil until fragrant. Add cilantro and rice, and cook, stirring until toasted. Pour in chicken stock and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender and 'steam holes' appear in the surface of the rice, about 20 minutes.

4.     When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pot, and place under cold running water to tighten the skin. Rub the outside with sesame oil, and chop into pieces. Place pieces on a serving platter, and garnish with cilantro, green onion, cucumber and tomato. The chicken rice is ready to be served.