|
Singapore
Recipes
Chicken rice
 Another candidate for "national dish", this one comes in different versions. It originated in Hainan, China, as a dish of plain rice and steamed chicken with a ginger dip. Once it came to Singapore with migrants more than 60 years ago, its metamorphosis began, and today, there is Singapore Hainanese chicken rice, and there are Cantonese and Malay versions as well.
Whichever the version, it is hard not to love it. Fragrant rice that's been cooked in chicken stock and other secret ingredients, accompanied by steamed or roasted chicken and slices of cucumber, go brilliantly together.
The real test of great chicken rice lies in the accompanying chilli sauce - the dish isn't complete without this, and the best-made versions make the meal heavenly. Local tastebuds which have grown to love chilli mean that Singapore Hainanese chicken rice includes a sauce that is hot and tangy. Ground ginger paste and dark soy sauce are other accompaniments.
Some people pour all the accompaniments over the rice, ending up with a black-red plate of rice that looks positively dangerous. Others dip portions of chicken into the condiments, and eat it with a spoon of rice. Personal preference also extends to body parts - some love the chicken thigh, some go for breast meat, some insist on the skin and bones being removed. Eat it the way you like.
Chicken rice chickens are especially reared because a higher-than-average body fat content makes for a tastier experience!
| More... |
Published on
16th April, 2004
|
|
