Tea Smoked Chicken & Rice - REAL comfort food

This weekend i have been sick. Runny nose, fever, and general irritability that my long weekend has been sacrificed in the name of recovery. So, today, feeling particularly sorry for myself as i hear the Melbourne cup cheers coming from the Geebung Polo Club around the corner, i prowl my pantry for some feel-good food. Dehydrated chicken soup, you say? Never! Off to the supermarket, to make me some REAL comfort food. 

This is sort of a massacre of both Hainanese chicken and rice, and Taiwanese Hsuyn Gi or Tea smoked chicken. I'm not going for authenticity here so leave me alone!

Ingredients

• 1 size 16 chicken
• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 coins ginger
• Salt
• Light Soy
  
• Chilli Paste
• Jasmine Rice
• 1 tbs green tea leaves
• 100gm brown sugar
• Sesame Oil
• Iced water (enough to douse chicken in)
  

Method:

Bruise garlic and place in large pot with ginger, chicken, some salt, and enough water to cover chicken.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to ice bath and leave for 10 minutes.

Continue to cook liquid until reduced to 750ml and then set aside for later.

Remove chicken and set on cooling rack to dry for 15 minutes.

Smokin' time! (only try in a well ventilated room; hush your smoke detector for 15 minutes, and open the windows)

Place a doubled up sheet of aluminium foil on the bottom of cleaned pot.

Add the tea leaves and sugar on top of the foil.

Either set in the greased pot colander as per my photo, or place a greased cake rack on the bottom of of the pot.

Set the chicken into the colander or onto the cake rake.

Put on the lid.

Heat over very high heat until thick smoke is coming out of the pot.

Take the pot outside but leave the lid on for 5 minutes.

Take off the lid and place the chicken on a cutting board.

Whilst still warm, brush sesame oil over chicken to form a glaze.

Cut the chicken into pieces desired for serving and refridgerate until needed.

To cook the rice:

Rinse the required amount of rice (1/2 cup per person) under water and then leave to drain for 10 minutes.

In a pot, heat 1 teaspoon of oil per 1/2 cup of rice.

Add the drained rice and saute for 5 minutes or until the rice smells toasty.

Add approx 2/3 cup of reserved stock per 1/2 cup of rice, briefly stir, and then place lid on pot.

Simmer lightly until bubbling stops and all liquid has been absorbed.

Let rice sit for 5 minutes before transferring to serving plate.

Serve chicken cold with hot rice, wilted greens, chili paste and soy sauce. You can also serve as small side bowl of the chicken stock as a soup to go with the meal.