The recipe and techniques to make chicken rice came to Singapore through a mix of Hainanese and Cantonese cultures. Starting in Hainan, a small island off southern China, the original version was made with Wengchang chickens (smaller and bonier than regular chickens). The meat was served over rice, coated with a thick layer of oil, and accompanied by a tray of chilli sauce, ginger and a garlic-infused oyster sauce. With the Cantonese influence, the recipe evolved to use white cut chickens, which are more tender.
Today, the first step in making Hainanese east coast chicken rice is poaching the entire chicken at once, with many
chefs swearing by the practice of quickly placing the poached chicken in
freezing water to create a thick jelly layer all around it. The real test for
the dish is the rice, which is made from the stock skimmed off during the
poaching process, mixed with ginger, garlic and pandan leaves. Each chef has
their own recipe and secret ingredients for achieving the best rice; the
ultimate goal is that the rice is tasty enough to eat on its own.
A few years later, the chefs behind the same
restaurant beat Gordon Ramsay in a nationwide cooking competition to see who
could rustle up the famous
chicken rice Singapore.
Regardless of whether we brave the queues at Tian Tian Chicken Rice or head to
our local hawker, Singapore’s national dish can be found in every nook and
cranny of the island.
For
more details on this, please browse www.boontongkee.com.sg.
