Chicken Rice

In almost every state in Malaysia, you will most likely heard that the food that you must eat in that state is chicken rice. In Malacca, we have the chicken rice balls. In Ipoh, we have the Ipoh chicken rice and chicken kuay teow noodles. They all claim to be the best among the best. But essentially, all chicken rice are the same. The thing that makes the difference is the type of chicken that they use and the type of seasoning they put in it. I personally thinks that the best chicken rice is the Seremban Chicken Rice. It is my opinion that you cannot put your conclusion of the best chicken rice in Malaysia before you try the chicken rice in different states.

Chicken

• 1 roasting chicken
• 2 ounces fresh gingerroot, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 scallion, tie in a knot
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• chili sauce or soy sauce, for dipping

Rice

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 3 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

1. Wash the chicken and dry thoroughly. Stuff the body cavity with the ginger, garlic, scallion, and salt.
2. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil.
3. Place the chicken in the pan. When the water is boiled, reduce the heat and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and rinse under running cold water for 2 minutes to prevent any additional cooking. Drain, then rub the oil into the skin. Set aside.
5. Next, prepare the rice by frying the garlic and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the rice and vigorously stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the stock and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice steam for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the rice grains are tender.
6. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with rice.