Hoi An Chicken Rice

Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 4-5

Ingredients

1kg whole chicken

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp turmeric powder

3 cups Jasmine rice

Nuoc mam dipping sauce (see below)

½ cup fried shallots

Salad

200g shredded green papaya or white cabbage

1 small brown onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch Vietnamese mint, leaves picked

100g pickled carrot and daikon

½ cup fried shallots

Pickle Daikon and Carrot

150ml white vinegar

100g caster sugar

100ml water

Pinch of salt

1kg carrots, cut into matchsticks

300g daikon, cut into matchsticks

Nuoc Mam Dipping Sauce

2 cloves garlic

3 birds eye chilli, finely chopped

150ml fish sauce

140g caster sugar

100ml warm water

Method

To make the pickled carrot and daikon, combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl and add 100 ml water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Rinse the daikon and carrot under warm running water for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. Transfer to a large plastic container or non-reactive bowl. Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables and set aside in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours but best left overnight, after which time the pickles will be ready to use.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the chicken, salt and turmeric and poach the chicken for 20-25 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken in the liquid for a further 10 minutes, then remove the chicken and cool on a wire rack. Reserve the poaching liquid.

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, moving the rice the whole time to ensure each grain is well rinsed. Drain and transfer the rice to a saucepan and pour in enough poaching liquid to cover the rice by about 2 cm (¾ in). Place over medium heat, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients and 100ml water in a bowl and stirring through until the sugar has dissolved. Makes 600ml, the remainder can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Once the chicken has cooled, tear the meat off the chicken into small bite-size pieces and discard the bones.

Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl, add the chicken pieces and toss with the nuoc mam. Divide the remaining nuoc mam among individual serving bowls.

To serve, spoon the rice onto plates, along with the salad and sprinkle with fried shallots.