Tuesday, April 22, 2008 ' 8:42 PM
Favourite Places We Like To Eat
1. MacDonalds
2. KFC
3. Sakae Sushi
' 8:40 PM
History of Chicken Rice
History
The only chicken rice found in Hainan in China, an island off the southern coast of China, is made with the Wengcheng chicken, a bony fowl with very little flesh served with rice thick with oil and accompanied by ground green chilli dip. Hainanese chefs also use pork and chicken bone stock unlike their Singaporean counterparts who avoid the pork base in their chicken rice. Thus the Hainanese Chicken Rice dish probably evolved through the Hainanese immigrants in the region and gained from local influences such as the Cantonese. The Cantonese added lime to the chilli sauce and ensured their chickens were tender and young. The Hainanese Chicken Rice dish is said to have taken root in areas like Middle Road, Purvis Street and Koek Road more than 60 years ago.
Description
The rich flavour of the rice comes from the grains that have been pre-fried in chicken fat and then cooked in chicken broth. The chicken is steamed until it is just cooked with a little pink remaining on the flesh near the bones. Whilst the cut chicken is served on a large dish, the rice is set on individual plates. Alternatively, dark brown roasted chicken is also served with the specially cooked rice. The dish is accompanied with a chilli sauce made up of chillies, chicken broth, garlic, and ginger. A thick broth of chicken stock garnished with a sprinkle of spring onions is also a must.
An early version of the dish had rice compacted into balls. Made of shorter-grained rice, cooked in a large metal pot with pandan leaves and ginger slices, the rice is painstakingly shaped into balls with the bare hands before it grows cold. The rice-balls made it easier for a travelling peddler to serve his clients, as he did away with plates and could easily wrap the balls in banana leaves. These Hainanese Chicken Riceballs are seldom seen in Singapore