Khao Man Gai

Khao Man Gai (Thai Chicken Rice with Fermented Soybean Chilli)

Thailand's take on Hainanese chicken rice: poached chicken over fat-rich rice cooked in the poaching broth, served with a pungent fermented soybean dipping sauce and a clear ginger-scented soup.

Prep

20 min

Cook

75 min

Total

95 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.6 kg (about 3½ lb) whole chicken, free-range if possible; keep neck and any trimmings for stock
• •1 tbsp salt, for the poaching water
• •30 g (¼ cup, sliced) fresh ginger, smashed for stock; finely julienned for the sauce and soup
• •4 cloves garlic, smashed, skins on
• •2 stalks lemongrass, smashed and tied
• •3 stalks green onion, tied into a knot
• •500 g (about 2½ cups) jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) rendered chicken fat or neutral oil, chicken fat is traditional; clarified butter is a Western substitute
• •500 ml (about 2 cups) chicken poaching broth, skimmed; reserve from the poaching pot
• •1.5 tsp salt, for the rice, adjust to taste
• •60 g (¼ cup, packed) tua nao (Thai fermented soybean), toasted and mashed; substitute Chinese fermented black beans rinsed of excess salt
• •8 cloves garlic, for the chilli sauce
• •20 g (about 6 tsp, chopped) fresh ginger, for the chilli sauce
• •15 g (about 5) fresh Thai bird's eye chillies, adjust up or down to taste; include or omit seeds for heat
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh lime juice, about 2 limes
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) light soy sauce
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar (palm sugar preferred)
• •500 ml (about 2 cups) additional chicken broth, for the serving soup, skimmed and seasoned
• •2 g (1 tsp, julienned) fresh ginger, for the serving soup
• •2 stalks green onion, sliced, for the serving soup
• •1 pinch white pepper, for the serving soup
• •1 cucumber cucumber, washed and sliced into bites, for serving
• •1 small bunch fresh cilantro, stems for the pot, leaves for garnish

Steps

1. 1 PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Rub 1 tbsp salt over the whole chicken, including the cavity. Stuff the cavity with the smashed ginger (30 g), smashed garlic, lemongrass, and knotted green onions. Place the chicken in a pot just large enough to hold it snugly and cover with cold water by about 2.5 cm (1 in).
2. 2 POACH: Bring the pot slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat. As soon as the water reaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook 8 to 10 minutes per 500 g (about 28 to 35 minutes for a 1.6 kg bird). Do not let the water boil - the skin should stay smooth and the meat tender.
3. 3 REST: Turn off the heat and leave the chicken covered in the hot water for 35 to 40 minutes. The carryover heat brings the breast to a safe internal temperature. Lift the chicken out, let it drain, and plunge it immediately into a bowl of iced water for 2 to 3 minutes to shock the skin and lock in juices. Reserve the poaching liquid.
4. 4 CHICKEN SAFETY: The breast meat must reach 74°C (165°F) and the thigh 77°C (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If either reading is below target, return the bird to the barely simmering broth for 5 more minutes and recheck. Reserve 500 ml of the strained, skimmed poaching broth for the rice.
5. 5 RENDER FAT (optional but traditional): While the chicken rests, skim 3 to 4 tbsp of yellow chicken fat from the surface of the poaching broth. If not available, use a neutral oil such as rice bran or sunflower.
6. 6 COOK THE RICE: Heat the chicken fat in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tsp minced ginger and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat each grain in the fat for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in 500 ml of the skimmed, hot chicken broth and 1.5 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
7. 7 MAKE THE CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE (Nam Prig Tua Nao): In a small dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the tua nao (or rinsed fermented black beans) for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Pound in a mortar, or pulse in a small food processor, with the 8 cloves garlic, 20 g ginger, and Thai chillies into a coarse paste. Stir in the lime juice, light soy sauce, and palm sugar. Taste - it should be salty, hot, sour, and slightly sweet. Set aside at room temperature; this is a raw condiment intended to be cooked by dipping the hot chicken.
8. 8 MAKE THE SERVING SOUP: Bring 500 ml of the reserved chicken broth to a simmer with the 2 g julienned ginger, sliced green onions, and a pinch of white pepper. Taste and adjust salt. Keep hot.
9. 9 CARVE: Pat the rested chicken dry. Chop or slice through the bones with a heavy cleaver into serving pieces, keeping the skin intact.
10. 10 SERVE: Mound the fat rice on warmed plates, arrange the chicken pieces alongside, and pile sliced cucumber on the side. Spoon some of the chilli sauce into a small dish for each diner (do not pour it on the rice). Pour the clear ginger soup into a separate small bowl. Garnish everything with cilantro leaves. Eat by dipping each bite of chicken into the sauce, then taking rice and cucumber between bites, with sips of the soup.