Hainanese Chicken Rice

Prepare the Chicken: Clean the chicken thoroughly and set aside the chicken fat. Rub the chicken inside and out with salt and rinse well. Massage with minced ginger and rice wine; let it rest for 30 minutes.

Stuff and Poach: Stuff the chicken cavity with scallions, ginger slices, pandan leaves (if using), and crushed garlic. Secure the cavity with toothpicks. In a large pot, bring water to a boil with additional ginger slices and lemongrass.

Blanch and Simmer: Blanch the chicken in boiling water for 30 seconds and remove. Repeat this process 3-5 times depending on the size of the chicken. Finally, cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes off the heat.

Cool and Oil: Insert a skewer into the thickest part of the chicken; if no blood emerges, it's done. Brush with sesame oil and let it cool completely.

Prepare the Rice: Render the reserved chicken fat in a pan until melted. Add ginger slices, minced garlic, and shallots; sauté until fragrant.

Cook the Rice: Rinse and soak jasmine rice for 30 minutes; drain well. Add to the pan and stir-fry briefly before transferring to a rice cooker. Add enough chicken broth to cook the rice.

Make the Sauces: For the chili sauce, blend chili peppers with yellow chili sauce, minced ginger, garlic, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and sugar until smooth. For the soy sauce mixture, dissolve rock sugar in chicken broth over low heat; add dark soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Serve: Chop the cooled chicken into bite-sized pieces. Serve with fragrant rice and sauces on the side.