Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

　　　“Hainanese Chicken Rice” can be said to be famous both at home and abroad. Not only do locals love it, but travelers from other regions also enjoy this dish. Hainanese chicken is known for using “Wenchang chicken.” The method of cooking the chicken is the most crucial skill—the taste of the chicken largely depends on the cooking process, and of course, the chicken must be Wenchang chicken. “After slaughtering and cleaning, the chicken feet are twisted backward and inserted into the cavity under the belly to secure them. The chicken’s head is bent back, and the wing pit is used to hold the belly, while several slices of ginger and monosodium glutamate are placed inside the chicken. An appropriate amount of refined salt is applied to the skin, then the chicken is placed in heated oil so that the heat causes the chicken to expand and set. It is then slowly simmered over low heat until just cooked (usually around eight or nine-tenths done), after which it is removed and turned in boiling clear broth to coat it with sesame oil, allowing it to cool naturally.” The ingredients for the chicken rice are chicken and rice. There are two methods of preparation: one involves heating chicken oil and minced garlic in a very hot wok until fragrant, then adding washed and drained rice and stir-frying it before pouring in chicken stock, mixing well, covering, and cooking until done; the other is to pour chicken oil that has been fragranced with minced garlic or scallions into normally cooked hot rice, then adding a little refined salt and monosodium glutamate and stirring evenly. The traditional way to eat chicken rice is to shape the cooked rice into “rice balls” by hand; “boiled sliced chicken” served together with these “rice balls” is considered the authentic “Hainanese Chicken Rice.”