Khao Man Gai — Thai Poached Chicken with Ginger Rice

⏱ 70 min · Serves 4

Silky poached chicken over rice cooked in its own golden broth, with a fiery fermented soybean and ginger sauce. Bangkok street-stall comfort in one bowl — the whole thing cooks in a single pot of broth.

Per serving: 682 kcal · 39.0g protein · 74.0g carbs · 26.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 800g)
• 2 litres water
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced, plus 3 tbsp finely grated ginger for the sauce
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional)
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chicken fat or vegetable oil
• 350g jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• Handful coriander leaves
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• For the sauce:
• 3 tbsp yellow fermented soybean paste (tao jiao), mashed
• 2 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 red bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp thin soy sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (a splash, for colour)
• 3 tbsp reserved chicken broth

Method

1. Bring the water to a gentle simmer in a large pot with the smashed garlic, sliced ginger, pandan and 1 tsp salt.
2. Lower in the chicken thighs. Keep the water at a bare shiver — never a boil — and poach 25 minutes, skimming any scum.
3. Lift out the chicken and plunge into iced water for 5 minutes to firm the skin and stop cooking. Pat dry, rub lightly with sesame oil. Strain the broth and reserve.
4. Heat the chicken fat or oil in a saucepan, fry the drained rice 2 minutes until it smells nutty and the grains turn opaque.
5. Add 600ml of the hot broth, a good pinch of salt, bring to the boil, cover, then cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes. Rest, lid on, 10 minutes, then fluff.
6. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together. Taste — it should be salty, sharp, hot and just a little sweet. Loosen with more broth if thick.
7. Season the remaining broth to taste, adding the spring onions, and keep hot to serve as a side soup.
8. Slice the chicken off the bone into thick pieces. Mound the ginger rice into bowls, lay the chicken over, add cucumber and coriander. Serve with the sauce and a cup of hot broth.