Dish · malaysian
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken served over rice cooked in the poaching fat and stock, with ginger-scallion and chili sauces on the side, the chicken kept tender by never boiling hard.
Where it comes from
The dish came to Malaysia and Singapore with Hainanese immigrants, who adapted a chicken dish from their home island to local rice, producing a version that diverged from what's eaten in Hainan itself.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over the poach: a long, gentle simmer that risks overcooking, or a poach-then-ice-bath shock, which stops the cooking sharply and is said to firm the skin into a jelly-like layer.
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