Cheater's Chicken Rice

Last night, before I slept, I found myself craving for chicken rice. So i told myself i would make some for lunch today. It's a cheater's version of chicken rice, meaning that this is the super-budget version of chicken rice: not full-on enough for the heavy preparation (making the chicken soup stock). The second reason it's a cheater's recipe is bacause it uses roast chicken rice recipe, and not the steamed chicken. But the best part is that it'seasy to prepare and it tastes like the real deal.

Cheater's Chicken Rice
(serves 2)

For the rice:
300 ml white uncooked rice
Chicken fat - skim some off chicken thighs and render them under heat
A few slices of ginger
450 ml Water (or chicken stock, if you have time to make the real deal)
1 tsp salt

For the chicken:
Supermarket ready-roasted chicken, enough portions for two people
1 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp sesame oil

1. Prep the rice! Heat the chicken fat (you want the oil) and fry the ginger slices until fragrant. Add uncooked rice and coat everything with the oil. Yes, it sounds disgusting, but this is what makes the chicken rice so tasty. Another reason why you shouldn't eat so much chicken rice back home!

2. Pop everything - rice, oil, ginger - into rice cooker and add water and salt. Stir well before cooking. The rice to water ratio should be 1:1.5. Cook in rice cooker (or, if you're like me, in the microwave).

3. Cut up chicken in portions, paying special attention to parts with skin. Skin is good! Helps soak up the seasoning and give taste. Also adds the fat content to this recipe, so again, don't be eating chicken rice night and day. Good parts for portions: the breasts and drumsticks. Thighs are a bit oily. Make sure you lay them out skin side up.

4. Heat up oven - 160 fan forced. We're not going to cook the chicken again, just heat it up and baste it. Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil and brush half the mixture over the chicken. Place basted chicken in the oven for a couple of minutes, and then baste with the remaining mixture. Place in oven again and switch off. Let heat keep the chicken warm while the rice finishes cooking.

5. Dish out rice and serve with chicken on top! Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil if desired, serve with sliced cucumber if you have it. Share with depressed housemate.

Tags: chicken rice cheat budget recipe