Hainanese chicken rice looks humble — poached chicken, rice, a few sauces — but done well it's one of the most satisfying meals in the Chinese repertoire. The chicken is silky and tender, and the rice, cooked in the poaching broth with ginger and garlic, is honestly the star of the show.
The gentle off-heat poach is the secret to that famously tender texture, and it's practically foolproof once you trust the method: bring the pot to the boil, turn it off, and let the residual heat do the work.
With a bright ginger-spring onion sauce and a bowl of the light broth on the side, it's a complete meal from one pot and one rice cooker.
