Hainanese Chicken Rice

Steps

1. 1
   Pull the loose fat from the chicken cavity and keep it. Rub the chicken all over with 2 tsp of the salt, rinse it, and fill the cavity with 40 g of the ginger, sliced, and 2 of the spring onions.
2. 2
   Bring the water to the boil in a pot that holds the chicken snugly, lower it in breast down, return to a bare simmer and poach for 10 minutes. Cover, turn off the heat and leave for 35 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C.
3. 3
   Lift the chicken into the iced water for 10 minutes. The shock tightens the skin into a smooth, jelly-like gloss. Drain and rub it with the sesame oil.
4. 4
   Render the reserved fat in a pan over low heat for 5 minutes, add 4 garlic cloves, chopped, and the shallots and fry until golden. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until every grain is glossy.
5. 5
   Pour in 550 ml of the poaching broth, 1 tsp of the salt and the pandan leaves, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes off the heat.
6. 6
   For the chilli sauce, blend the chillies with 2 garlic cloves, 15 g of the ginger, the lime juice, sugar, a pinch of the salt and 2 tbsp of the broth.
7. 7
   For the ginger sauce, grate the remaining 25 g of ginger and pound it with the last 2 garlic cloves and the rest of the salt, stir in the 2 remaining spring onions, finely sliced, and pour over the sunflower oil heated until it shimmers.
8. 8
   Mix the dark and light soy sauces with 1 tbsp of the broth.
9. 9
   Chop the chicken through the bone into pieces and serve it at room temperature with the rice, cucumber, coriander, the three sauces and a bowl of the hot broth.