How to cook Hoi An chicken rice

Hoi An-style chicken rice pairs well with the Hoi An chili sauce, loved for its spicy garlic and tomato blend, chunky texture, and vibrant color. It's akin to a sweet and spicy sriracha sauce.

This recipe serves about 4 to 6 people, takes approximately 55 minutes to prepare, and provides around 2,672 calories in total.

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken with intestine set (1.6 - 1.7 kilograms)

- 8 cups rice

- 1 onion

- 1 carrot

- 1/2 papaya

- Onion, garlic, turmeric, ginger, lime, chili

- Laksa leaves, coriander

- Spices: fish sauce, salt, sugar, stock powder, pepper

Instructions

1. Preparation

- Clean the chicken thoroughly, rub it with lime and salt to remove any odors, then wash and drain.

- Opt for a hen for this dish enhances its flavor profile with richer taste and firmer texture.

A cleaned chicken and its intestine set. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Extract turmeric juice by using a garlic press or a juicer, and set it aside to rub onto the chicken for a beautiful golden hue when boiled. Save the turmeric pulp for later use.

- If fresh turmeric is unavailable, turmeric powder can be used when boiling the chicken or stir-frying the rice.

- Peel and chop shallots and garlic.

The turmeric juice should maintain clarity while having an orange color. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Shred the papaya and carrots, then soak them in a bowl of cold water with vinegar, sugar, and ice cubes until crispy.

- Thinly slice onions and soak them in ice water with a dash of lime juice and sugar to reduce pungency.

Once soaked in cold water, the shredded papaya, carrots, and onions will retain their vibrant color and crispiness. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Clean and cut chicken intestines into small pieces, marinate with a teaspoon of fish sauce, a pinch of salt, stock powder, and pepper.

Chopped shallots and chili are added to the marinated chicken intestines for an enhanced flavor. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

2. Cooking process

- Rub the chicken with turmeric residue, wash it, and place it in a pot of cold water covering the chicken.

- Add ginger, crushed shallots, a little salt, and seasoning to enhance flavor.

- Bring to a boil, skim off foam, then simmer and cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes until tender. Allow it to braise for optimal flavor.

- Once cooked, remove the chicken and let it cool.

Perfectly boiled chicken should have its skin remain intact. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Fry garlic with cooking oil until fragrant and crispy, set aside.

- Wash and drain rice.

- Stir-fry the rice in the garlic oil until grains tighten, then add turmeric juice for color.

- Transfer rice to a cooker, add chicken broth (less water than usual), and cook.

- Allow the cooked rice to rest for 10-15 minutes after it's done cooking before using a fork to separate and fluff the grains.

As the rice cooks, it becomes fluffy and takes on a yellow color, imparted by the chicken broth. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Debone the cooled chicken, cut thigh and skin-attached meat into bite-sized pieces, and shred the breast meat.

Separate the shredded chicken breast and chopped chicken thighs for individual use. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Mix breast meat with soaked onions, a teaspoon of lime juice, a teaspoon of fish sauce, half a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of pepper, and chopped coriander.

A salad with chicken breast, onions and spices. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- Drain the soaked papaya.

Soaked shredded papaya, after draining, will become softer. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

- For the sauce, start by frying shallots, then add the marinated chicken intestines and cook.

- Next, pour in chicken broth, adjust seasoning to taste, and finally, remove the intestines before serving.

The intestine sauce should have a texture that is thicker than water and a slightly brown color. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy

3. Final product

- Press rice into a bowl tightly, then overturn onto a wide plate.

- Arrange sliced chicken thighs, chicken salad, chicken intestines, sweet and sour papaya, and laksa leaves.

- Top with fragrant fried onions. It is served with intestine sauce, and a bowl of chicken broth garnished with scallions.

The vibrant yellow rice is fragrant and fluffy, complemented by soft chicken, sweet and sour papaya, and savory intestine sauce.

A serving of Hoi An-style chicken rice captivates diners with its colorful appearance. Photo by VnExpress/Bui Thuy