Hainanese Chicken Shortcut

What a busy day! After I bake and savor my Banana Nut Muffin I was off to the laundromat. Wednesday is FREE DRY day and since I have not done my laundry for awhile, I did not want to miss this week opportunity. While the clothes were drying set the timer and head off to Smart & Final because their sale start today. I thought I was going to get all my items from my shopping list but unfortunately not and will have to make another trip to another grocery store at another time. Didn’t have enough time to drop my produce at home so I returned to the laundromat to fold my clothes. I got too tired, too hungry, and too concern about my produce sitting in the trunk it this June heat so I packed what I didn’t finish and headed home.

Once home, I grab a pot and just start tossing things that comes in sight, well like the half-lime, some garlic and scallions. From there, I add the drumstick that I recently purchase and began to poach it. While that was cooking I prepare steam rice and made two different sauces, garlic & chili and soy and vinegar. By now my mind was thinking Hainan Chicken but this would be a very condense or short-cut version because I don’t have all the ingredients at hand. Plus, when I do make my real Hainanese Chicken, I take my precious time. When all is done, I use the chicken stock to make some soup on the side by then clock  reads 6PM so it was basically my lunch/dinner for today.

While it seems like a lot of steps, it really wasn’t that bad. I had no prep, while the chicken was poaching, I just pull and grab as I go.

Hainanese Chicken Shortcut (makes 2 servings)
(Mon Hainan Plov Kat) ម៉ាន់ហៃណាន់ផ្លូវកាត់

Ingredients
3 cups of water
2 stalk scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 cloves smash garlic
6 drumstick
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
cilantro (garnish)
cucumbers (optional)

Method:
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil and then add the drumsticks. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, turn the heat off and cover. Let sit for 40-45 minutes or until the stock is cool.  Remove chicken and set aside. Combine soy sauce and sesame oil. Add mixture to chicken and serve with slice cucumbers on the side and garnish with cilantro leaves.

To make the side soup
stock from poached chicken
soy sauce
salt
sugar
cilantro
white pepper powder

Method:
Remove the chicken once poached, reheat the stock and reduce to a simmer. Add salt, sugar and soy sauce.  Taste and adjust accordingly. Before serving sprinkle with cilantro leaves and a dash of white pepper power.

Sauce One: Garlic & Chili
3 garlic
6 chili (more or less is up to you)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 wedge of lime juice
a dash of sesame oil
1 tablespoon stock (from poached chicken)

Sauce Two: Soy & Vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
a sprinkle of crush red pepper