Chicken & rice

Step 1

Trim off any excess fat from the chicken cavity and put this in a frying pan over a low heat. Render until the fat has melted and any skin crisped up (about 15 minutes); discard the skin and set aside the fat. Meanwhile, rub 1 tbsp sea salt all over the chicken.

Step 2

In a large, deep pan, bring 2.5 litres water to the boil, then carefully add the chicken, the remaining ½ tbsp salt and the sliced ginger. Bring back to the boil (10 minutes), cover, reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear and no pink meat remains.

Step 3

Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the ginger and salad onion sauce in a small frying pan over a low heat with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes; tip into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the soy dipping sauce, apart from the broth. In a pestle and mortar or using a stick blender, crush together or blend the ingredients for the chilli garlic sauce, except for the broth. Set both aside.

Step 4

When the chicken is cooked, gently lift it out of the pan into a bowl of iced cold water and let it rest for 10 minutes (this cools the chicken down quickly). To cook the rice, heat a medium-large lidded saucepan over a medium heat, add the chicken fat or ghee and fry the shallot until golden (4-5 minutes), then add the garlic. Once it starts to brown, add the rice, turmeric and bouillon powder. Mix well then add the chicken broth. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat, until the broth has seeped into the rice (about 2 minutes). Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered tightly with a lid, for a further 15-18 minutes, then remove from the heat, keeping the lid on, and rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff up the rice with a rice paddle or wooden spoon.

Step 5

Remove the chicken from the cold water to a chopping board. Separate the meat from the carcass with a sharp knife, keeping the skin intact. Start with the thighs by separating them from the cavity and cutting at the joints. To separate the breast, score right down the middle and dissect it from the middle cartilage, slicing along its sides and wings. To separate the meat from the bones, move the knife along the bones. Slice the meat into 1cm-thick pieces, with the skin still intact and arrange on a serving plate. Brush with the sesame oil. Decorate with the cucumber slices, tomatoes and sprigs of coriander.

Step 6

When ready to serve, add the chicken broth to the soy and chilli dipping sauces then bring the rest of the broth to the boil and season with the fish sauce. Divide the broth between soup bowls with the salad onion, coriander and a little ground black pepper. Serve the chicken with the hot rice, hot broth and dipping sauces.