![Khao Maan Gai](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/i3H15YOXU0hb4R4QRhkGbbHEV3w=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Khao-Maan-Gai-FT-RECIPE0623-69891807873446f191ac6dff95393353.jpg)
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
Khao Mun Gai, also called Khao Maan Gai, is one of my personal favorite Thai street foods. It features tender poached chicken served with a fragrant chicken broth and ginger rice. The dish is accompanied by a flavorful dipping sauce and a bowl of broth. The dish is famed for its simplicity, and is an easy yet comforting dish any home cook can tackle.
This dish begins by simmering the chicken with aromatics including peeled ginger, cilantro stems, green onions, and salt to create the broth. Then, sear the chicken fat and wings with more garlic and ginger, and cook the rice in that flavorful rendered fat. As the rice cooks, prepare the accompanying soup by simmering winter melon or cucumber in the seasoned broth used to cook the chicken. Tradition and authenticity calls for winter melon, but when I was growing up, we used cucumber, because it was more readily available. The soup serves as a refreshing palate cleanser while you eat the meal.
My favorite way to eat this chicken it is to pack the fragrant rice into small round bowls, and invert them onto plates. Arrange the chicken alongside and garnish with chopped spring onions, cilantro, and a few slices of cucumber. Drizzle the dish with sauce or serve it on the side for personalized seasoning. Finally, don't forget the small bowl of soup, topped with scallions, to complete the meal. — Sichon Domrongchai
Ingredients
Chicken and Rice
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1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken
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4 medium scallions, halved crosswise (from 1 [3-ounce] bunch)
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1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) sliced, unpeeled fresh ginger, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger, divided
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1/4 cup cilantro stems, from 1 (2 1/2-ounce) bunch cilantro
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1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
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12 cups tap water
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2 1/2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
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1 tablespoon canola oil
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4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)
Sauce
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1 tablespoon canola oil
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1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) roughly chopped, peeled fresh ginger
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4 medium scallions (from 1 [ 3-ounce] bunch)
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4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)
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1/3 cup Thai sweet soy sauce
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2 tablespoons light soy sauce
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2 tablespoons Thai or Chinese fermented bean paste
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1 to 3 small Thai bird chiles
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1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, such as Tamicon
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1/4 cup cilantro stems, from 1 (2 1/2-ounce) bunch cilantro
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Kosher salt, optional
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Granulated sugar, optional
Additional ingredients
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1 large (10-ounce) cucumber
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Finely chopped scallions, for garnish
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Finely chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
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Thinly sliced cucumber, for garnish
Directions
Prepare the chicken and rice
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Remove innards from chicken and discard. Pat chicken dry. With kitchen shears, trim off wings at the joint, leaving drumette on carcass. Trim off chicken tail, and snip off as much fat from cavity as you can. Place wings, tail, and trimmed fat in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Place remaining chicken in a large (7-quart) saucepan or pot. Add scallions, sliced ginger, cilantro stems, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Cover chicken with the water and bring to a boil over medium-high. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, or an instant read thermometer registers 160°F when inserted in thickest portion of chicken, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, skimming and discarding foam as it rises to the top during cooking. Remove chicken from broth and place on a rimmed baking sheet or plate; let cool while preparing rice. Strain solids from the broth and discard; leave broth in saucepan. Cover to keep broth warm.
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Place rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Agitate with your hand to release starch from rice. Drain and repeat until water is no longer cloudy, about 4 to 5 times. Strain rice and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add reserved chicken wings, tail, fat, and 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered and chicken wings and tail are golden brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Once fat has rendered, reduce heat to low and add 4 teaspoons of the garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and translucent, about 1 minute. Add rinsed rice and cook, stirring constantly, to coat all rice in rendered fat, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer rice mixture to an 8-cup rice cooker or a programmable pressure multicooker (such as an Instant Pot). Add 3 1/2 cups of the reserved broth and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; cook rice according to manufacturer��s instructions (about 25 minutes for a rice cooker). When done cooking, remove and discard wings and tail, leaving remaining trimmed crispy chicken fat in the rice.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce
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Wipe out skillet or wok and return to stove. Add canola oil and heat over medium. Add ginger, scallions, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer ginger mixture to a small food processor or blender. Add sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, fermented bean paste, Thai chiles, tamarind, and 2 tablespoons reserved broth. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cilantro stems and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Taste and season with more salt and sugar if desired. Set aside until ready to serve.
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Peel and halve cucumber lengthwise. Remove core and seeds with a spoon and discard. Chop cucumber into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces and set aside. Heat remaining reserved broth over medium heat until simmering, about 10 minutes. Add chopped cucumber and cook until cucumber has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Carve cooked chicken and remove and discard bones and skin. Slice dark and white meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
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To plate, spoon and pack rice into a small round cup-size bowl; invert onto a plate. Arrange some chicken meat alongside rice. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro. Arrange 3 slices of cucumber alongside. Drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of Sauce. Ladle about 1 cup broth into a small bowl with some cucumber pieces; top with more scallions. Serve broth as a palate cleanser alongside with extra sauce if desired.