Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainan Chicken Rice

I had been craving this for awhile and so we took a trip to C&R in Chinatown last week, only to find it was closed for renovations. So post Bikram yoga session on the weekend, and bundles of energy, and seeing a friend's istagram feed from Singapore, I suddenly had the urge to cook this. Not eat it, just make it. I have made this several times before and I think the most important part is the rice. Some think it the chilli-ginger sauce or the silky chicken but I think the rice, followed by the sauces. I could eat that without the chicken. Recipe adapted from how I have made it in the past and also from the Rasa Malaysia site. Measurements are more estimates and you can adjust to taste!

Hainanese Chicken Rice (Serves roughly 4)

Ingredients:

For the rice

3 cups uncooked washed rice
vegetable oil (or your preferred oil)
4 cloves finely chopped garlic (more if you like - I used a food processor to mince the garlic and ginger to make enough for the rice and the sauces all at once, guestimates will do)
Chunk of ginger, cleaned and bruised

Excess chicken fats (optional)

1 & 1/2 tsp salt roughly

chicken broth to cook

For the chicken and stock

1 whole chicken, or chicken pieces and additional chicken bones
few big chunks of ginger, cleaned and bruised 
5-6 stalks of shallots, washed
1 carrot, roughly chopped

few tsp salt

I added two dried honey dates (used alot in Chinese soups, imparts a sweetness)

For the soy sauce (mix)

2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chicken broth
3 tsp sesame oil

For chicken rice chilli ginger sauce (Blend altogether)

Few birds eye red chilies
Few cloves of garlic
Chunk of ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
few tbsp chicken broth
few tbsp of lime juice or rice vinegar, to taste

Variations of shallot oil, with or without ginger

1. Heat some oil, add some chopped shallots, salt and sesame oil 

2.Mince shallots, ginger, salt together. Heat some oil and pour it on top of the mixture.

Method

For the Chicken

1.Clean the chicken and if using a whole chicken, stuff some ginger, garlic into the cavity and rub with salt. If using pieces, add the ginger and some garlic, shallots to the pot, alongside the chicken bones. Add some more salt to season as necessary.

2. Bring water to the boil, add the chicken and reduce to low simmering heat and let the chicken simmer for about 40-50 minutes (or longer if necessary). Low heat will keep the stock pretty clear and prevent the chicken overcooking. Remove and submerge in cold water to stop the cooking process. Some recipes say to poach the chicken to give it a warm bath in order to get the silkiness. Next time.

For the Rice

1.Fry some of the mince garlic and ginger, make sure to not brown, then add the uncooked rice with some salt and fry until fragrant.(Note, I have in the past trimmed the excess fat from the chicken and fried this with the rice to give it more flavour, but if the stock has enough oil and flavour you can skip this, I skipped this time).

2.Cook rice as normal in the rice cooker, adding the chicken stock from the chicken with some additional salt. You want to scoop the top oily parts of the stock which is full of flavour and will give the rice the nice oily, chicken flavour.

To Serve

Chop up the chicken into bite size pieces and serve alongside the rice, with some sliced cucumber, accompanied by the ginger/shallot oil, chilli/ginger sauce, some soy sauce and a bowl of both with some coriander.

Seems long but is a very easy recipe! Enjoy!

On a high on a high.. There's nothing more to it

It has been on the bucket list for awhile. Running through the vineyards of the Medoc region, sampling wine out of proper glasses (some), eating oysters, steaks, cheese in fancy dress. Wanting to do this in previous years but having never run as much as I have in the past year, it never eventuated and I wasn't sure what to expect after so long. It surpassed any preconceptions and turned out to be an amazing experience.

The party began the previous night in a chateau of the region, a big marquee was set up, tables were set and baguettes and bottles of wine at the ready. It was the 'Mille pâtés' - thousand pasta party, of the night before with the excuse being you needed the carbohydrate fuel for the next day. An excuse it surely was. To drink that is. Two magnums and a bottle of wine for every 6 or so people meant in effect bottomless wine. We weren't there to get drunk though, just have a good time and that we did. Plentiful food, Congo lines to the tunes of Sweet Home Alabama - which I think was heard repeatedly during the course of the marathon also. Nicely rounded by a display of fireworks.

Retreating to bed past 1am and knowing we had to be up in a few hours, I was already feeling the pain. With our 5am wake up call though, a little more excitement followed. Science fiction was the theme of 2013 - the 29th edition. Our last minute efforts left little to be desired and vowing to be more organised for next year - 30th year.

With a plan to start drinking after running the first half marathon, this plan failed upon the first wine stop, which was less than 2kms into the run. It was going to be a long day! It ended up being the perfect way to enjoy the race, no pressure, no time constraints, just a view to enjoy all the wine stops, food stops, atmosphere, music and view that greeted us every km of the way. Every km there was something. If not a wine stop, then a food and water stop, if not that, then music. Unofficially, the locals with foie gras, saucisson, baguettes and various other treats! The coca cola was much welcomed! The little local kids, older men and women cheering and chanting from the sidelines and calling out your name was simply amazing (Allez! Annie). Was I running that slow?

With the amount of wine on offer, I am surprised that we didn't see any disorderly behaviour. Guys carrying plastic bottles and wine glasses whilst running yes, Germans running with a cart of beer for they did not fancy wine, but, no worst. I guess it was a marathon that commanded some order after-all? Unlikely to be the reason. 

The official food stops began at about the 37km mark- oysters, steak and ice cream. At the 41km mark there was a sign 'Le beaute finalement' (or something like that) and a mirror, and also an offering of face painting. I guess it was your last chance to pretty yourself up for the cameras when crossing the finish line. Nice touch.

It the end we took 6hours 22minutes. The official cut off time before roads to open and you get your wine in a wooden box was 6h30mins. I do imagine you would still receive the wine. Could you walk it? Not really. We walked parts but not the whole way. When we were running it was probably at the 6-7min/km mark, often slower. Can you bike it? There were people entering on some of the roads on bike but you can't bike the whole way.

The final touch that was ever so welcoming was the showers set up with hot water in Paulliac after the race. Oh and the delicious fresh canneles and foie gras stands. #yum#ouch#cantwaittodoitagain 

What other marathon map has the wine and food stops as key markers of the route map.

Summer lovin.. had me a blast..

I have a somewhat distant summer on my mind. Reflecting on the long nights, 30 degree heat, cold wine glasses and bare skin. Rain is falling on the window pane and it is hard to imagine that this was just last week. Hello Autumn. I look forward to no longer having to decide between choosing the lesser evils for I know most my friends will retreat into hibernation mode. You know who you are ;-p. 

Of the beautiful summer we had, alot of it seemed to be spent eating. Yes, as expected. Pop-ups, markets, burger joints, street food traders - all of which seemed and seems to be the current trend, the way to start a business in this food obsessed world we live in. 

So we sampled a few, Bobs Lobsters - a tasty lobster roll and hearty lobster mac and cheese served from a red VW van was ever so charming. Just don't have a few bottles of wine before.

Disco Bistro N1C - pop up burger and roller disco joint serving burgers, shakes, perfect fries, fried chicken wings and alcoholic shakes. Stick with the burger and fries and you can't go too wrong. The vegetarian option is for hardcore fried cheese lovers only.

BBQWhiskyBeer - at the Wargrave Arms Pub in Marylebone. Winner of Ribstock 2013 for their beef rib. What does that mean. I might create an award for something cool and edible. It will be very subjective. Who wants to enter? The BBQ dishes here were tasty, definitely for meat lovers, chicken wings were agreed by some to be best in London (i am not sure how many have been sampled). Although, heavily contested, apparently TGI Fridays is better. It will be on next years round up of summer tastings. ;-p

Buns, buns, buns - the new obsession that will be! Momofuku slow cooked pork belly buns were what started it all. At least for me. Soft and pillowy steam buns filled with various fillings, but pork belly definitely the original. Bao Buns popup at Netil Market with preserved cabbage and pork belly was right on. Like the Chinese clay pot dish in a bun. Also sampled Yum Bun but no comparison. Sexy buns!

Kimchee Cult - if you like Kimchee and if you like burgers, well, you get both in this. Juicy!

Ok there were more, there will be more but I feel my arteries clogging up writing this. In a world where we are so fixated on health and eating well, we also like to indulge. Or maybe that's just me. Doesn't anyone serve healthy food anymore? Where do I find healthy, tasty food that would be more conducive yet still appealing to post running fuel? Maybe that will be my calling. For now, lets see what the new season brings. Excuse the photos. Streetfood isn't meant to be pretty.

What a fruitcake!

With a pending trip to Israel and a lack of research, we decided to get together for a dinner party in hope to plan some of our trip. Recent attempts at eating healthier, coupled by a request to make a healthy dessert brought me here. Well, not quite. I was actually looking for a hazelnut and fig cake recipe that I had been wanting to try and stumbled across this instead. It was healthy and full of the Middle Eastern ingredients of saffron, honey, yoghurt, dates, hazelnuts and figs. So, in the theme of things...well, I thought anyway. I was told pistachios would have made it more Middle Eastern.

The picture from the original recipe was so pretty - bright yellow from the saffron contrasting with the purple of the figs, on the brown base of the hazelnuts. The recipe called for powdered saffron but I had strands and couldn't get it anywhere as near bright yellow. I also substituted some of the full fat yoghurt for low fat but the 'cake' was abit icey so next time I wouldn't. The base could be used as a cheesecake base as a wheat free alternative to digestive biscuits. Tasted like Ferrero Rochers, without chocolate. An easy, pretty dessert for the health conscious! Just add more honey for extra sweetness.

Hazelnut cake with Frozen Saffron Yogurt and Honey Drizzled Figs

Crust
2 1/2 cups (350 g) raw hazelnuts (save a handful for the topping)
1/2 tsp sea salt
15 fresh medjool-like dates, pitted
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp water

Filling
3 cups (720 ml) fat whole-milk turkish/greek yogurt, unsweetened
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
4 tbsp runny honey + some extra for topping
1 gram (0.035 oz) powdered saffron (2 envelopes)
8 small fresh figs, quartered

Method
Preparing the crust: Toast the hazelnuts on a baking tray on 180°C (350°F) in the oven, for 10 – 15 minutes or until skin cracks. Let cool for a few minutes, then remove skin by rubbing the nuts between a rough kitchen towel. Add hazelnuts (save a handful for the topping) and salt to a food processor or blender and pulse for about 10 seconds. The nuts should be chopped but not powdered. Pour the nuts into a separate bowl and set aside. Add the pitted dates, coconut oil and water to the food processor and run it on high speed until the mixture comes together to a sticky paste. Add the chopped hazelnuts and run until everything is combined into a sticky pebbled mixture. Place in a 20 cm (8-inch) spring-form cake tin and flatten it out with your fingers. Put in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.

Making the filling: Place yoghurt, coconut milk and honey in a medium size mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Stir in the saffron very gently with a spoon. Remove the spring-form cake tin from the fridge and pour the saffron filling on top of the crust. Then place the spring-form in the freezer for about 2 hours (you can keep it in the freezer for days but then you have to let it thaw for about 15-20 minutes before serving it). Top the cake with crushed almonds, fresh figs and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately and try to finish it all at once as it won't refreeze or look as nice the second time around.

Ahh the French...

Beautiful plates

I could think of worst ways to spend a Thursday lunch. Sunny, crisp London day, no random snow showers, freezing winds, rain or any other detractors to remind us that Spring is just around the corner. It is, it is. Paired with a leisurely team lunch of tasty French fare followed by an extended coffee stop, I feel myself relax into weekend mode already.

Freshly baked variety of breads to start, alongside a whipped Chantilly butter (it was extremely moorish and had hints of toffee) as well as a smoked butter. Every dish was constructed with interesting combination of textures and tastes - my sea urchin veloute was extremely 'seafoody' but was toned down by a creamy cauliflower soup like pulp alongside crunchy 'chips'.

All dishes were enjoyed and with a lunch menu of 3 courses for GBP25, it was extremely good value especially for the quality of cooking. Next door there is a wine cellar/bar which had an extensive menu of small plates that I believe I will enjoy thoroughly and will therefore warrant another visit.

Club Gascon

57A West Smithfield

London, EC1A 9DS

Sea Urchin Veloute, Cauliflower Pulp and Crisps

Plaice with Squash and Seeds and Aromatic Pumpkin

Roasted pineapples, Crispy Rum Baba, with Lemon and Ginger jelly

All Training Ends Here.

Inside the Teahouse conservatory

The first occasion I visited Petersham Nurseries was when we decided to walk from home to the nursery to test our endurance and the feasibility of completing the Oxfam 100km Trailfinders walk. The walk was short of 20km..we decided it was not feasible. The walk was enjoyable but the welcoming sight of the selection of cakes and the simple, hearty fare was our respite. It was rather cold that day and the heartwarming fare was just what we needed as we tried to warm ourselves up. 

Petersham Nurseries has both a casual, canteen like Teahouse with a selection of hot food and cakes, as well as the one michelin star 'Cafe', which is the restaurant. The Teahouse, housed in a conservatory of colourful painted chairs and wooden and metal tables, was supplemented by a jet like heater to keep the patrons warm. The Cafe also housed a rustic store of homewares and gardenwares. 

This return visit was a result of a last ditch attempt at training for the Barcelona Half Marathon, which happens in a week. So after an 8-mile run around Richmond Park, on again this frosty and drizzly day, we ended up here. Again, cold and seeking refuge in front of the heater - but not a bad place to end after a spot of exercise. Food was simple and tasty, and extremely filling. A shared slice of Hazelnut, Pear and Chocolate cake rounded off the meal nicely but with a mental note to visit on a warmer day next time around. Definitely a nice spot if the sun was shining and as with other Richmond places, very family friendly.

Petersham Nurseries (Teahouse and Cafe)
Church Lane
Off Petersham Road
Richmond, Surrey
TW10 7AG

Cake selection in the Teahouse

Hot food selection

Rolled Chicken Breast stuffed with spinach and yummy vegetables

Pear, hazelnut and chocolate cake

Interior of the Teahouse

Inside the shop next to the Cafe

Some of the kitchenware available

A Corner Room

Of the Bethnal Green Town Hall. Quite simply, creative cooking and great service at very reasonable prices, especially for lunch. Two courses for GBP17/ three courses for GBP21. It is the more casual and more affordable dining option to Viajante, also in the Bethnal Green Town Hall, which was more refined, more creative and served delicious freshly baked bread with whipped butter. It also warrants its own post if I can ever find my pictures. 

This was my second visit. My first visit resulted in great appreciation for Iberico pork cooked pink. Juicy and tender and just cooked perfectly - memorable to say the least. Always apprehensive about revisiting the same dish, I ordered steak instead. My companions who had the pork said it was too salty. The dish itself was completely different to the one we had the first time around. The menu does change frequently but like the lamps that adorned the back wall, the Iberico pork appears to be a permanent fixture. Albeit, with variations. Enjoyed all my dishes but the dark chocolate thin crackers accompanied by the slightly bitter clementine with cinnamon ice cream was my favourite dish of the day. I like the bitter taste of fruits like grapefruit, and I love chocolate. Perfect combination for me. I am also just going through a crazy dark chocolate phase. Only when does a phase cease to be a phase? 

Corner Room

Town Hall Hotel

Patriot Square

London E2 9NF

Jamon Iberico

Seabass Ceviche

Hanger Steak

Sole on the Bone

Chocolate Clementine

Sweet Potato Ice Cream with 'popcorn'

Some of the dishes we had on the first occasion when it first opened in 2011.

Confit Duck with Girolles and Egg

The ever memorable Iberico Pork

Veal Cheeks with Pasta and Wild Mushrooms

This Little Piggy...

Ham Hock with Pork Belly and Puy Lentils

Went to market....who..me?..well, I suppose I am what I eat..but I mean the other little pork chop.

My favourite animal would have to be the pig, or rather, its' meat - for I don't particularly want to take it for walks in the park or throw the pig a bone. It is so versatile and used in abundance in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking that I grew up eating pork in all its forms. Stewed, Braised pig trotters with 'hair' for Chinese New Year, Roast Pork, Char Siu, Grilled Pork Chops with Rice (Com Tam), boiled trotters in Vietnamese soups (Banh Canh)...you name it...there was a way to cook it. This was every part of the pork. Intestines, liver, trotters, ears, marrow, blood. All of it. The whole concept of nose to tail eating was born long before Fergus Henderson started his St John restaurants. 

So needless to say, in the Western world, cured meats, terrines, crackling, accompanied with a glass of red simply added another dimension, another way, to enjoy this little creature.

Brawn, the sister restaurant to Terroirs, but over in the East Side served all of this. Brawn is the meat from the head of a pig, cooked and pressed into a block. This is then likely served on a wooden board, accompanied with bread. Well, it doesn't have to be, but it makes me want to eat it more then if it were served on a white plate. Just as everything is better dusted with icing sugar, everything looks better on wooden boards.

Ok, pork isn't the only thing on the menu but we ordered predominately this, throw in some salad leaves and a cauliflower and cheddar souffle. Pork scratchings, nduja scotch eggs (tasty!), mixed charcuterie platter, foie gras and a ham hock that was to serve three or more. There was four of us. The three or more did not account for the other plates we had already ordered, nor the extra chunk of pork belly that came with it. Nonetheless we ate our way through it and left Brawn feeling very much like the porker we had consumed. Great little spot at the end of Columbia Road worth returning for, but ordering just slightly fewer plates. Just.

Brawn
49 Columbia Road
Bethnal Green
E2 7RG

Pork Scratchings

Mixed Charcuterie Platter

Foie Gras

Cauliflower and Cheddar Souffle