Chinese chicken rice

Directions

Rice and Chicken 

1. Wash rice in cool tap water, draining several times and rinsing with fresh water until water is less opaque but does not need to run clear. Drain well in a fine-mesh colander (ensure the weave is small enough that the grains won’t fall through).
2. Add remaining poaching ingredients including the chicken into the large poaching pot holding the prepped aromatics.
3. Add the water but adjust (depending on pot size) to cover the chicken by about one inch.  Cover and bring to a rolling boil.  Skim the scum.  Cover and quickly bring back to the vigorous boil then immediately lower the heat to a gentle simmer (small bubbles) and cook for five minutes.  After five minutes, remove the pot from the heat completely without removing the lid.  Allow to stand undisturbed for 25 to 30 minutes or until the temperature of the thickest part is 165°F.  The exact length of time to cook will depend on the size of your chicken pieces and to some extent how well your pot retains heat. Cook longer as needed for large pieces. [TIP: If you want more precision, insert a meat thermometer - the kind where the needle is attached to a digital unit via a wire that hangs out of the oven or pot - into the thickest part of one chicken piece to get visibility on the progress].  
4. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove pieces from the pot, either directly onto a cutting board or if you don't mind the extra step, into an ice bath to firm up the skin if you plan to eat it. 
5. Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat.  Add a drizzle of oil (or chicken fat) and sauté the minced ginger and garlic for 10 seconds, stirring.  Turn off heat (but keep on stove for residual heat) and add drained rice, stirring gently to coat the grains with the flavourful oil.  Be gentle so as not to break the rice grains.  Add two cups of the poaching liquid into the pot.  Cover. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook undisturbed (covered) for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat. Fluff and keep covered until ready to serve.

Scallion Ginger Sauce 

1. Heat the oil in a small pot until it is hot and starts popping. To test readiness, insert a dry wooden chopstick or utensil into the oil. If bubbles are rapidly rising up the sides, oil is ready. Carefully pour hot oil all over the prepped minced scallion mixture while stirring to distribute well.  It should sizzle and pop. You may be able to hold back one to two tablespoons of the oil even though it may not look like enough oil at first but the heat wilts the mixture way down. 
2. Do a final taste for saltiness and add more salt as needed – the sauce should taste quite salty. 
3. Mix well and set aside.

Assemble and Serve 

1. Slice cucumbers, tomatoes, pick cilantro, etc.   
2. Pull off the skin and discard, then pull large pieces of chicken meat off the bone. Serve chicken pieces on top of rice, copious amounts of scallion sauce and veggie sides. Enjoy!