Description
A delicious and comforting dish, Vietnamese chicken porridge is typically made for someone who is sick, someone who can’t chew (the elderly), someone who is learning to eat solid foods (babies), or simply for someone who wants good food to warm the belly on a cold winter day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Porridge
- 1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs)
- 3 quarts water
- 2 large shallots (peel and slice into large wedges)
- 3 oz ginger (leave unpeel; slice into coins)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Chicken Yellow Glaze
- 1 tablespoon shallot oil (can replace with vegetable oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Garnishes (Optional)
- Ground black pepper
- Fried shallots
- Green onions or cilantro (thinly slice)
Vegetables and Dipping Sauce (Optional)
- Vietnamese coriander (Rau Răm)
- Bean sprouts (Giá)
- Salt, lime and pepper dipping sauce
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Clean the chicken by rubbing it down with a tablespoon of coarse sea salt on the skin and the inside of the chicken. Rinse with water then drain dry. With a knife and a cutting board, remove the toenails from the chicken, if any. Tuck the legs into the chicken cavity as they tend to stick out of the stock pot. Trim off the fatty parts of the chicken and set aside. The chicken fat will be used to toast the rice.
- Prepare the stock: In a large pot, add chicken, shallots, ginger, and cilantro. Add water (3 quarts) and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Check for doneness by piercing between the joint of the thigh and body. If the liquid is clear and not pink, chicken is done.
- Strain stock and shred chicken: Remove all the aromatics and discard. Transfer the chicken to an ice bath for 3 minutes then remove. This step helps to tighten up the skin but is optional. In a small bowl, mix together shallot oil and turmeric powder. Rub this mixture onto the outside of the chicken. This turmeric oil provides the iconic yellow color with a great aroma. The oil will also keep the chicken from drying out. Hand-shred chicken into thin strips then set aside.
- Prepare and toast the rice: Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain dry. In a medium pan, add chicken fat and heat on medium-high until you render about 1 tablespoon of chicken oil. You can also use shallot oil if you don’t have enough oil. Add rinsed rice and toss it in the chicken fat. Lightly toast for about 5 minutes.
- Add rice to stock pot: Transfer toasted rice to the stock pot. Discard the chicken fat. Cook the rice for 30 minutes on a medium-low simmer or until the rice has broken down into your desired porridge consistency. Make sure to stir the bottom so that it doesn’t burn.
- Season to taste: Add salt, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder to taste.
- Serve: Ladle porridge into individual bowls. Top with slices of hand-shredded chicken. Garnish the bowl with fried shallots, a dash of freshly ground black pepper, and thinly sliced cilantro/green onions. Serve with a side of Vietnamese coriander (Rau Răm), bean sprouts, and dipping sauce.
Notes
- If you are running short on time, you can skip three steps (1) rendering the chicken fat and toasting the rice, (2) transferring the boiled chicken to an ice bath, and (3) rubbing the oil and turmeric powder onto the chicken.
- If there are innards (it’s typically stuffed inside the chicken), make sure to clean those off with a good salt rub and cook them too. They are delicious!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese