Hainan Chicken

The United States may be all about fried chicken, but in China, many of the country’s most noteworthy chicken dishes are downright mushy. Of particular note is a poached chicken dish from the tropical island of Hainan called, well, Hainan chicken. Recipes vary, but the main idea is to slowly poach a whole bird in a light broth with ginger and garlic, then serve the meat room temperature with rice cooked in the poaching liquid. When done right, the flesh is marvelously tender and silky, with a rich layer of fat and skin on top like a gelee on top of a liver pate. The rice is also subtly flavored, with hints of chicken essence in every bite, and a squeeze of lime or dash of hot sauce is all the dish needs to fill you up on a hot summer day. Slowly poached whole chicken in a light broth with ginger and garlic. The flesh is marvellously tender and silky, with a rich layer of fat and skin on top.