2.25 lb chicken, cut in 4 pieces or 4
chicken quarters
7.5 cups water
1 large onion, quartered
1 inch fresh root ginger, peeled, halved
and bruised
12 oz Thai fragrant rice, rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method :
Place the chicken pieces in a large pan
with the water, onion quarters and ginger. Add seasoning, bring to the
boil and then simmer fro 45-60 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
Remove from the heat. Lift out the chicken, remove the meat and discard
the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Reserve the
stock. Strain the chicken stock into a clean pan and make it up to 7.5
cups with water.
Add the
rinsed rice to the chicken stock and stir continuously until it comes to
the boil, to prevent the rice from settling on the base of the pan.
Simmer gently for 20 minutes, without a lid. Stir, cover and cook for a
further 20 minutes, stirring from time to time until the rice is soft
and rather like a creamy risotto. Stir the chicken pieces into the
porridge and heat through for 5 minutes. Serve as it is, or with any of
the garnishes and accompaniments suggested in the introduction.
Serves 6
This is a dish that is popular all over
the East, in countries such as Indonesia. It is often served as
sustaining breakfast fare. Hearty eaters tuck into a feast of spicy rice
with chicken, and add prawns, deep-fried onions, garlic and strips of
fresh red and green chili. This is stopped with a lightly fried egg and
garnished with celery leaves.
