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the chicken of my people (khao man gai)

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Chicken

The Chicken of My People (Khao Man Gai)

When I was growing up, my mom called her version of this very simple chicken dish "cold boiled-chicken" because it was essentially a boiled chicken served cold or sometimes sort of tepid but never blazing hot. The Chinese version, known as Hainanese chicken, is usually served with salted, skin-on peanuts and a garlicky, gingery condiment. The Thai version, called Khao Man Gai, is usually served warm on a bed of rice that's been cooked in chicken broth with a thick, spiced soybean paste and cucumber slices on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3½-pound) chicken
  • 4 slices ginger, peeled or unpeeled, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped (or grated on a Microplane) ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • Coarse-grain sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (both green and white parts)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 Thai chile, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 4 cups cooked rice (white or brown, cooked in water or chicken stock)
  • Optional garnishes: salted and roasted skin-on peanuts, cucumber slices, cilantro leaves, tomato slices, fried shallots or garlic, sliced scallions, chile sauce like Sriracha, and/or soy sauce

Directions

  • Place the chicken, breast and legs down, in a stock pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add the ginger slices, the garlic, black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover the chicken completely with cold water (3 to 5 quarts, depending on the size of your chicken and pot). Full immersion of the chicken is key.
  • Bring to a boil and cook at a full boil for 10 minutes. Skim off the scum if you like. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let the chicken sit for 1 hour.
  • While the chicken cooks, in a small bowl, mix the finely chopped ginger, the scallions, oil, chile, if using, and 1 teaspoon of salt; the mixture should be salty and strong-tasting.
  • Carefully lift the chicken out of the pot and transfer to a platter or cutting board. Do not lift the chicken by any of its limbs or they will come off. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should register at least 170°F. Unless you have a freakishly large chicken, this should not be a problem. Let the chicken cool slightly.
  • Bring the broth back to a boil, then let it simmer while the chicken cools. Taste and add 1 teaspoon or so more salt if you like (I like mine on the salty side).
  • To serve, cut the chicken into pieces (I avoid chopping the legs into pieces because they tend to splinter. and I would rather just serve them whole). Arrange them alongside or on top of the hot rice that has been doused with 1 tablespoon or so of chicken broth. Feel free to remove the skin. On the side, serve a small bowl of strained broth garnished with cilantro and scallions. Use the ginger-green onion condiment sparingly. Serve with a soy sauce creation and any of the garnishes mentioned, as desired.

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