Hainanese chicken two ways

Posted by petra08 on June 21, 2024 · 4 Comments 

Some dishes finds their way to your heart straight away. A friend of mine mentioned Hainanese chicken and I had never heard of it. I went home and did some research and decided to make it. Here is my recipe from seven years go and I have made it ever since.

Last week I thought I would update it with a fresh chilli oil and oh my it transformed an already delicious dish to new heights if I may say so myself. The chilli oil I am sure will be delicious drizzled on pretty much anything savoury and I want to try it on pan fried cod next time.

For this oil I am using fresh ingredients so it has to be used straight away, do not keep it for longer than the next day. If you want to keep the chilli oil use only dry ingredients and it will keep for a longer time.

Fresh chilli oil

preparation time 5 minutes

cooking time just long enough to heat up the oil

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 dl or 1 cup of sunflower, or any neutral oil
• 2 red chillies, chopped. If you don’t want to oil too hot remove the seeds
• 1 handful of coriander, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, cut thin julienne
• a pinch of sea salt
• a pinch of sumac

Mix all of the ingredients except the oil in a heat proof bowl.

Heat up the oil and pour it over the ingredients and let it cool down before using.

It was delicious drizzled over the Hainanese chicken.

There was some chicken left over so the following day I made summer rolls, a light and healthy dinner. Usually I would use mung bean vermicelli but I had some rice left over so I used that instead.

I went out in the garden and picked fresh mint, coriander and edible flowers. I used vegetables I had in the fridge and got to work.

Hainanese chicken summer rolls

preparation time 10 minutes

cooking time 0 minutes

serves 2 for dinner

Ingredients

• 8 rice papers
• 1/2 carrot, peeled and cut julienne
• French beans, steamed and cooled
• pepper, cut julienne
• cucumber, cut thin
• 1/2 chilli, 8 slices and the rest cut fine
• 2 dl/1 cup of shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 2 spring onions, cut julienne and placed in cold water to curl up
• Chinese leaves, cut to the size of a roll
• about 8 tbsp cooked rice, or rice/mung bean vermicelli, cooked and cooled
• fresh mint leaves
• fresh coriander
• edible flowers for garnish

Place finger warm water in a bowl large enough to use for the rice paper. If you don’t have a bowl use a frying pan.

Mix the chicken and the cream cheese. Dunk the rice paper in to the water and place it on a cutting board. Place the Chinese leaf on to the rice paper. Place the chicken on top and the vegetables. Place the petals and the herbs and roll the summer roll.

Cut the cucumber in to thin strips and dry it on some kitchen towel.

Make cucumber nests and garnish with the edible flowers and more herbs.

Serve with a dipping sauce.

This was not only healthy but a delicious way of using up leftovers. The soft and flavourful Hainanese chicken worked really well in the summer rolls, aided by the crunchy vegetables and the rice paper.

I am bringing my summer rolls to the lovely Angie’s Fiesta Friday nr 542, you know what that means don’t you? She has hosted us 542 times and is still running the best foodie party around!

Filed under Allotment/Veg, Brunch, Cabbage, Carrot, Cheese, Chicken, Chilli, Cucumber, Herbs, Lettuce, Main course, Meat, Recipe, Rice, Side dish, Snack, Spring onion, Starter · Tagged with Chilli oil, Cream cheese, Hainanese chicken, summer rolls, Vietnamese rolls