5 Spice Chicken Rice

 

I always make this when I have a hankering for Singapore style Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Its like a shortcut so I don't have to go through the process of roasting or poaching a whole chicken. Especially when we cook for two most of the time. Also we prefer dark meat so we just by thighs from the local poultry shop for convenience. 

The marinade gives the chicken thighs that extra savory hit that is just so good. It reminds me of the roasted variant of Hainanese Chicken Rice.

For the marinade (Good for about 6 thighs)

• 4-5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 3 tbsp Sesame oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• 50-70 ml water

For the dressing/sauce (2 Servings)

• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Method

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl: 
2. Mix chicken thighs with marinade and store in a container or zipper bag. 
3. Leave in the fridge to marinade or at least an hour, overnight if possible.
4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 190 C (fan forced)
5. Cook chicken skin side up for about 25 mins. Cooking time may vary with size of meat and oven type.
6. When cooked, remove chicken thighs from banking try and allow to rest while you make the dressing.
7. Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl, making sure sugar is dissolved.
8. Serve with chicken rice (Rice cooked with Chinese style chicken broth) or plain rice.
9. Add on your preferred side greens.
10. Drizzle the dressing on the chicken and greens. 

Enjoy.

Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken

Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken

I was actually inspired by a Vietnamese noodle/salad bar in South Australia. The fragrant aroma of the chicken being grilled was what drew me into that little stall in the Adelaide CBD.

Its savoury, sweet and fragrant. This dish is an easy crowd pleaser, especially in a barbecue. When cooking at home in the oven, the aroma just fills the place. It is actually a variation of the chicken recipe in the Thai Chicken Salad I posted some time ago.

Here's what you'll need.

500g boneless chicken thighs

Marinade
2 stalks fresh lemongrass - grated/minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoons soya Sauce
1 teaspoon coriander powder.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic - grated/finely minced
Ground black or white pepper
Juice of half a lime

Garnish / Coating
2  Tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 stalk spring onion - sliced
Fried shallots

Method
1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Then marinade chicken in the mix, for at least an hour.

2. If using an oven, preheat oven to 190 degrees. Lay the chicken on a baking tray skin side up. Cook for 25-30 mins. (If you want crispier skin, you can sear the skin on a skillet over the stove over high heat for a few mins before putting the chicken in the oven.)

3. If cooking over a grill or barbecue, cook skin side down first, over medium heat. Should take about 6-10 mins (Depending on how hot your grill is) to get that nice rendering you want on the skin. Then flip them over, grill until cooked through. About another 4-8 minutes or so.

4. Let the chicken rest for a few mins. Toss with the spring onions, shallots and Thai sweet chilli sauce. Serve.

Enjoy.