Hainanese chicken rice (Hainanese chicken rice)

1. Rub the chicken with salt and put half the sliced ginger and the spring onions in the cavity. Bring the water to the boil in a large pot, lower in the chicken and as soon as it returns to the boil turn the heat to the lowest: poach, covered and without bubbling, for 40-45 minutes.

2. Lift out the chicken and plunge it into iced water for 10 minutes – this makes the skin gelatinous and taut – then drain. Keep the poaching stock.

3. Fry the washed, drained rice with the chopped garlic and shallots in the oil (or fat pulled from under the chicken skin) for 2-3 minutes, then add 500 ml of the chicken stock and the pandan leaves and cook covered on low heat for 15 minutes.

4. For the chilli sauce, blend the chillies, garlic, half the remaining ginger, lime juice, sugar and 2 tablespoons of stock to a paste; for the ginger sauce, finely grate the rest of the ginger and pour over a pinch of salt and a little hot oil.

5. Cut up the chicken and drizzle with a little soy sauce and stock.

6. Serve the chicken with the rice, cucumber slices, coriander, both sauces and a cup of hot chicken broth.

Tip: The national dish of Singapore and Malaysia, brought by Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island. The key is gentle poaching: the water must not boil, so the meat stays juicy and silky.