As I nibbled and drank my way around the Auckland Food Show preview day, one thought hrough my head the entire time: what was I going to cook for dinner that night? I knew it would be something from the show and there were plenty of ideas and options: Venison burger, kumara hash brown, falafel wraps, pizzas, roast chicken and lamb medallions. What should I make? I wanted something warm and comforting, and easy to do with minimal stove time as I will need to pack away my purchases as well.

The idea came after I picked up some organic whole chickens from Bostocks Brothers and Good Chow first brew soy sauce – Hainanese Chicken Rice made in the Thermomix.

Bostock Brothers is based in Hawke’s Bay, and they are the only commercial organic chicken producer in the country. Their chickens live on their spacious apple orchard and you should go watch their videos – I call them the “happy chickens”- with ample roaming range. Bostock Brothers’ process also doesn’t involve any chemicals, antibiotics, hormones nor genetic modification. We think their chickens taste superior. #notanad #justliketheproduct

I also used Simon Gaults’ chicken stock and managed to cook the chicken, rice and soup together, without needing to supervise the cooking much.

Stove top method

It is almost as easy without using the Thermomix. Just cook the chicken in a gentle simmer for 30 minutes in a large pot of chicken stock along with all the ingredients, turn off the heat and let it poach for a further 20 minutes. Plunge the cooked chicken into an ice bath before chopping it up. Cook the rice in a large saucepan on the stove separately.

Serve with hot soup, fragrant rice and a touch of coriander.

Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 1.5kg
• 2 tsp Chinese wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 spring onion
• 8 large slices of ginger
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, rice bran or grapeseed
• 400g jasmine rice
• Salt to taste
• 1-1.5 L chicken or vegetable stock
• 1-2 pandan leaves (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix Chinese wine, salt, pepper and sesame oil in a small bowl. Rub this all over the chicken and inside cavity. Stuff 2 cloves of the garlic, 2 of the spring onions and 3 slices of the ginger inside the chicken’s cavity and place into the Varoma dish lined with 3 slices of the ginger and 2 spring onions to help with flavour and steam circulation. Set aside.
2. Place remaining garlic, ginger, shallots and neutral oil into mixing bowl (chop on speed 8 for 8 seconds if you haven’t pre-chopped everything) and sauté for 2 min/Varoma/Reverse/speed 2.
3. Add rice and sauté for 2 min/100ºC/Reverse/speed 2.
4. Add about a tsp of salt or to taste. Remove from mixing bowl and set aside in the steaming basket.
5. Place 1L of chicken or vegetable stock into the mixing bowl. Set Varoma into position and steam for 45 min/Varoma/speed 3 (longer if your chicken is larger than 1.5kg).
6. Remove Varoma and set aside. Top up chicken stock to 1L. Insert basket of rice with pandan leaves. Return Varoma dish with chicken to position and cook for a further 15 min/Varoma/speed 3.
7. Once done, carefully lift chicken out and deconstruct on a large plate. Serve with rice and chilli sauce, Good Chow soy sauce and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce).
8. Taste the soup, and add enough hot water to taste (as it will be concentrated). Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

General Tips

• To make a quick sauce to pour over chopped chicken, mix 3 tsp Good Chow first brew soy sauce with 2 tbsp hot water, ½ tsp sesame oil and ¼ tsp sugar and mix well.
• You can add some vegetables to steam in the last 5-10 minutes of the steaming, if desired.