Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 kg whole chickens
  • 1 sprig celery leaves
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, finely grated
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • 2 cups short-grain rice
  • Dipping Sauces
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 red chilies, chopped or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
  • Soup
  • 1/2 cup Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
  • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Method

  • Wash chicken under cold water. Place in a large pan with the celery leaves, peppercorns, salt and spring onion, cover with water. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave, covered, for 45 minutes.
  • Heat the oils in a pan with a well fitting lid. Add ginger, garlic and onion and cook until soft and golden. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the oil to use for a Dipping Sauce.
  • Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, Add 3 cups of stock from the pan in which the chicken was cooked. Bring to the boil. Simmer until holes appear in the rice.
  • Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to very low. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid; fluff up the rice with a fork.
  • While rice is cooking, remove the chicken from the pan, retaining the stock for the Soup. Joint Western-style or chop Chinese-style. Arrange pieces on a serving platter; keep warm.
  • To make Dipping Sauces: Use reserved tablespoon of cooking oils and combine with grated ginger. For the second sauce, combine soy sauce and chili.
  • To make Soup: The remaining stock may be served alongside the rice dish as a soup. Strain it, bring to the boil and add the Chinese cabbage. Pour into a bowl; sprinkle with coriander.
  • Serve chicken, rice and Dipping Sauces with the bowl of hot chicken broth on the side.