Golden Steamed Chicken Rice
Chicken thighs roasted over rice cooked in rendered chicken fat and stock, finished with a sizzling ginger and spring onion oil and crispy skin snacks on the side.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
6 chicken thighs, skin on, excess fat trimmed and saved, bones removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
3 cups rice, rinsed well
3 cups chicken stock
salt, for seasoning
200g Chinese broccoli, tender stalks trimmed to 5cm lengths
1/2 cup mild-flavoured oil
3 tbsp grated ginger
1/4 cup finely minced spring onions
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
kecap manis, to serve
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a large ovenproof baking dish with a lid, fry the trimmed chicken skin in the olive oil and water over medium heat.
Cook until the water evaporates and the skin starts to brown and crisp, leaving rendered chicken fat in the pan.
Remove the crispy skin bits and set aside for a crunchy snack.
Into the rendered chicken fat, add the rice and stock. Stir well.
Season the chicken thighs, then place them skin-side up, gently nestled together rather than laid completely flat.
Place the dish, uncovered, into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
Top the dish with the trimmed Chinese broccoli stalks.
Cover with the lid and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through. Add a little water here if the rice seems too crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the mild-flavoured oil in a small saucepan until shimmering hot.
Carefully pour the hot oil over the ginger, spring onions, salt and sesame oil in a heatproof bowl. The mixture will sizzle and gently cook the aromatics.
Once the chicken and rice are cooked, remove the thighs, slice into 2cm thick pieces and drizzle with kecap manis.
Serve with the sticky rice, Chinese broccoli, and the crispy chicken skin snacks on the side.
HINTS
Let the water fully evaporate when rendering the skin - that's what gets you genuinely crisp crackling rather than chewy skin.
Nestle the thighs snugly together rather than flat, so they stay moist through the long bake.
A good-quality powdered chicken stock brings real depth and umami to the rice.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 15800 kJ (3780 cal)
Protein: 200 g
Fat: 210 g
Saturated fat: 50 g
Carbohydrate: 240 g
Sugars: 6 g
Sodium: 4400 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.