Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs / 1.3 - 1.8 kg), preferably free-range
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch / 2.5 cm piece of ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 tsp / 5 ml five-spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml white pepper
  • 1 tsp / 5 ml salt
  • 1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml sugar
  • 2 cups / 400 g long-grain rice, rinsed well
  • 3 cups / 710 ml chicken broth (from the poached chicken, plus extra if needed)
  • 1 inch / 2.5 cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
  • 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional, adds fragrance)
  • 1 tsp / 5 ml salt
  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml chicken fat (skimmed from the top of the broth – gold dust!)
  • 4 tbsp / 60 ml finely grated ginger
  • 4 tbsp / 60 ml finely chopped scallions (green parts only)
  • 4 tbsp / 60 ml vegetable oil, heated until smoking
  • 1 tsp / 5 ml salt
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Chicken: Marinate the chicken overnight.
  2. Roast the Chicken: Roast chicken in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through. Let it rest before carving.
  3. Make the Rice: While the chicken is roasting, cook the rice in the rice cooker or on the stovetop, using the chicken broth as the liquid.
  4. Prepare the Ginger-Scallion Sauce: Heat oil and pour it over ginger and scallions, and add salt.
  5. Carve the Chicken: Carve the roasted chicken into serving pieces.
  6. Assemble the Dish: Arrange the rice, chicken, cucumber slices, and ginger-scallion sauce on plates. Serve immediately.