Video recipe
Fool-proof Hainanese Chicken & Spanish Sausage Rice
East meets West. Bold flavours. Ultimate comfort.
Adapted from HOY媒體網絡
Every step links back to that moment in the video
This article features two distinct chicken dishes. Jacky Yu shares an authentic home-style Hainanese chicken rice paired with a unique sand ginger and curry leaf sauce. Meanwhile, Ricky Cheung reinvents the classic with French yellow chicken, Spanish chorizo, and orzo pasta for a delightful Western twist. Both recipes offer incredible inspiration for your dining table.
Estimated timing — actual time may vary with cooking speed and heat.
What makes this version work
Hainanese chicken uses the 'three dips' method to shrink the skin and keep the meat tender.
The sand ginger sauce is elevated with fried curry leaves for a unique aroma.
The Western chicken rice uses orzo pasta instead of rice to absorb the broth and chorizo flavours.
Ingredients
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Spanish Sausage Chicken Rice
- French yellow chicken 1隻Deboned, separating breast and leg
- Salt 10g
- Paprika 2g
- Diced onion 100g
- Spanish chorizo 100gDiced
- Tomato sauce 100g
- Orzo pasta 300g
- Chicken broth 500ml
- Olives 100g
- Chopped parsley 4g
- Lemon to tasteSliced for garnish
Hainanese Chicken Rice - Poaching
- Yellow fat chicken 1隻Approx. 1.5kg
- Ginger slices 10片
- Scallions 6棵Lightly bruised
- Star anise 2粒
- Turmeric powder 1湯匙
- Lemongrass 3枝Bruised
- Pandan leaves 4片Rubbed to release aroma
- Salt 2湯匙
- Ice water to tasteEnough to submerge the chicken
Hainanese Chicken Rice - Sand Ginger Sauce
- Fresh sand ginger 40gMinced with skin
- Chopped scallion 15g
- Curry leaves 5g
- Oil 60ml
- Sand ginger powder 1g
- Chicken powder 1g
- Fine salt 1g
- White vinegar 2ml
Equipment
- Flat pan
- Large soup pot
Steps
Marinate the French yellow chicken (Spanish Sausage Rice)
Season the deboned French yellow chicken with salt and paprika. Paprika adds a beautiful color to the chicken skin.
Watch at 3:24Pan-fry the chicken
Time 5 minHeat Medium heatAdd oil to a flat pan and place the chicken pieces skin-side down. Cover with a lid. Pan-fry over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the skin is golden brown, then remove and set aside. The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked at this stage.
Watch at 3:57Stir-fry onion and chorizo
Time 3 minIn the same pan, add diced onion and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add the diced Spanish chorizo and stir-fry for another minute to release its smoky aroma.
Watch at 5:35Simmer with orzo pasta and chicken leg
Time 5 minHeat Medium heatAdd tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then return the chicken leg pieces and add the orzo pasta. Mix well, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. The orzo will absorb the flavorful broth.
Watch at 6:25Add chicken breast to finish the rice
Time 8 minHeat Medium-low heatAfter 5 minutes, add the chicken breast pieces, cover again, and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for 8 to 9 minutes. Garnish with olives, lemon slices, and chopped parsley before serving.
Watch at 8:22Prepare the poaching broth (Hainanese Chicken)
Bring a pot of water (enough to submerge the chicken) to a boil. Add ginger slices, bruised scallions, star anise, turmeric powder, rubbed pandan leaves, bruised lemongrass, and salt. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved and the aromatics release their flavors.
Watch at 12:47Three dips and cold water bath
Time 3 minDip the chicken into the boiling broth for about ten seconds (to equalize temperature and tighten the skin), remove immediately, and submerge it in an ice water bath for about 3 minutes. This rapid cooling shrinks the skin, resulting in a firm and smooth texture.
Watch at 13:43Poach the chicken off-heat
Time 45 minHeat Off heatBring the pot of broth back to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot, ensuring it's fully submerged. Once the water boils again, cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let it poach in the residual heat for 40 to 45 minutes. Afterwards, you can cool it in an ice bath for another 20-30 minutes before draining and chopping.
How to tellPierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer; if the juices run clear with no blood, it's fully cooked.Watch at 14:43Steam the chicken rice
Time 20 minTake the poaching chicken broth and mix it with white rice in a 1:1 ratio. Season with a little salt and lay a few pandan leaves on top for aroma. Steam for about 20 minutes to make the Hainanese chicken rice.
Watch at 16:53Prepare the sand ginger sauce base
Place the minced fresh sand ginger (with skin) and chopped scallions into a bowl. Add white vinegar, fine salt, chicken powder, and sand ginger powder, then mix well.
Watch at 18:19Fry curry leaves and pour hot oil
Heat Low heatHeat about 60ml of oil, turn to low heat, and add the curry leaves, frying until golden and fragrant. Slowly pour the hot oil with the curry leaves in batches into the sand ginger mixture, stirring to create a flavorful sauce.
Watch at 19:14
Chef's secrets
Orzo absorbs the essence
Using Italian orzo pasta instead of traditional paella rice not only surprises visually but also perfectly absorbs the flavors of the chicken broth and chorizo while offering a smoother texture.
The secret to poaching is rapid cooling
Immediately soaking the poached chicken in ice water rapidly halts the cooking process and causes the skin to shrink, resulting in a crisp skin and tender meat.
Keep the skin on fresh sand ginger
Unlike regular ginger, mincing fresh sand ginger with its skin on retains more aroma and adds a crispy texture, creating a more complex flavor profile than traditional ginger paste.
FAQ
Do I need to precook the orzo pasta for the Spanish chicken rice?
No, you can add raw orzo directly into the chicken broth to simmer with the chicken. This allows the pasta to fully absorb the broth's flavors.
Can I use the Hainanese chicken poaching broth for other dishes?
Yes! The poaching broth is rich in spices and chicken essence. Besides cooking the rice, you can use it to blanch vegetables or as a soup base.
What can I substitute if I don't have curry leaves for the sand ginger sauce?
If curry leaves are unavailable, you can substitute them with finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, which will also add a unique Southeast Asian aroma to the sauce.
No time to cook?
The same wok-fired cooking, already made for you at Bryt Kitchen.
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