Cơm Gà Hội An (Hoi An Chicken Rice)
Cơm Gà Hội An (Hoi An Chicken Rice)
Ingredients
For the Poached Chicken
- 3 pounds whole chicken, about 3 pounds
- 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 3 scallions, whole
- 1 inch fresh turmeric, grated
- 1 gallon cold water, or enough to cover chicken
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Golden Rice
- 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice
- 3/4 cup Jasmine rice
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chicken fat, rendered from chicken, plus more as needed
For the Chicken Salad (Gỏi Gà)
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup rau ram, chopped (Vietnamese coriander)
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons fried shallots
- 1 red chilies, thinly sliced, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
For Serving
- 1/2 cup pickled carrots and daikon
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, for dipping, or as needed
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the chicken for poaching. Remove the legs and head from the whole chicken. Trim any excess fat and skin, reserving these trimmings for later use. Place the chicken in a large stock pot.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Add the sliced ginger, whole scallions, and grated fresh turmeric to the pot with the chicken. Fill the pot with cold water, ensuring the chicken is fully submerged. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. As the chicken cooks, use a spoon or ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Continue to simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). Reserve all the chicken broth.
⏱️ 40 min
- 4
Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the pot using tongs and transfer it to a bowl to cool completely. This will take about 30 minutes. Do not discard the broth.
⏱️ 30 min
- 5
While the chicken cools, prepare the rice. In a fine-mesh strainer, thoroughly wash the glutinous rice and Jasmine rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Prepare the salad herbs and vegetables. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a small bowl of cold water to soak. Finely chop the scallions, cilantro, and rau ram. Set aside.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Render the chicken fat. In a pan, add the reserved chicken fat trimmings. Cook over low heat until the fat renders out and the trimmings turn golden and crispy. Remove the crispy bits and reserve the rendered fat. You should have about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat.
⏱️ 10 min
- 8
Toast the rice. Add the minced garlic to the rendered chicken fat in the pan and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the washed rice to the pan and toast, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the rice is fragrant and slightly translucent.
⏱️ 5 min
- 9
Cook the rice. Transfer the toasted rice to a rice cooker. Add exactly 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth and an additional 1 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat for extra flavor. Set the rice cooker to cook for 40 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time.
⏱️ 40 min
- 10
Prepare the chicken for the salad. Once the poached chicken is cool enough to handle, tear the meat by hand along the grain into bite-sized pieces. Do not slice, as tearing provides a better texture for this dish.
⏱️ 15 min
- 11
Assemble the chicken salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the torn chicken, drained red onion, chopped rau ram, scallions, and cilantro. Add the chicken powder, black pepper, lime juice, fried shallots, sliced chilies, and fish sauce. Mix thoroughly by hand (wearing gloves is recommended) to combine all ingredients and flavors.
⏱️ 10 min
- 12
Serve. Once the rice cooker finishes, fluff the golden rice with a fork. Plate a generous portion of the rice, top with the chicken salad, and garnish with pickled carrots and daikon, and sliced cucumber. Serve with extra fish sauce on the side for dipping. This dish is traditionally served at room temperature.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Cơm Gà Hội An (Hoi An Chicken Rice)
For the Poached Chicken
- 3 pounds whole chicken, about 3 pounds
- 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
- 3 scallions, whole
- 1 inch fresh turmeric, grated
- 1 gallon cold water, or enough to cover chicken
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Golden Rice
- 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice
- 3/4 cup Jasmine rice
- 4 garlic, cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chicken fat, rendered from chicken, plus more as needed
For the Chicken Salad (Gỏi Gà)
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup rau ram, chopped (Vietnamese coriander)
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons fried shallots
- 1 red chilies, thinly sliced, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
For Serving
- 1/2 cup pickled carrots and daikon
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, for dipping, or as needed
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the chicken for poaching. Remove the legs and head from the whole chicken. Trim any excess fat and skin, reserving these trimmings for later use. Place the chicken in a large stock pot.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Add the sliced ginger, whole scallions, and grated fresh turmeric to the pot with the chicken. Fill the pot with cold water, ensuring the chicken is fully submerged. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. As the chicken cooks, use a spoon or ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Continue to simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, about 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). Reserve all the chicken broth.
⏱️ 40 min - 4
Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the pot using tongs and transfer it to a bowl to cool completely. This will take about 30 minutes. Do not discard the broth.
⏱️ 30 min - 5
While the chicken cools, prepare the rice. In a fine-mesh strainer, thoroughly wash the glutinous rice and Jasmine rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Prepare the salad herbs and vegetables. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a small bowl of cold water to soak. Finely chop the scallions, cilantro, and rau ram. Set aside.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Render the chicken fat. In a pan, add the reserved chicken fat trimmings. Cook over low heat until the fat renders out and the trimmings turn golden and crispy. Remove the crispy bits and reserve the rendered fat. You should have about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat.
⏱️ 10 min - 8
Toast the rice. Add the minced garlic to the rendered chicken fat in the pan and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the washed rice to the pan and toast, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes until the rice is fragrant and slightly translucent.
⏱️ 5 min - 9
Cook the rice. Transfer the toasted rice to a rice cooker. Add exactly 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth and an additional 1 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat for extra flavor. Set the rice cooker to cook for 40 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time.
⏱️ 40 min - 10
Prepare the chicken for the salad. Once the poached chicken is cool enough to handle, tear the meat by hand along the grain into bite-sized pieces. Do not slice, as tearing provides a better texture for this dish.
⏱️ 15 min - 11
Assemble the chicken salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the torn chicken, drained red onion, chopped rau ram, scallions, and cilantro. Add the chicken powder, black pepper, lime juice, fried shallots, sliced chilies, and fish sauce. Mix thoroughly by hand (wearing gloves is recommended) to combine all ingredients and flavors.
⏱️ 10 min - 12
Serve. Once the rice cooker finishes, fluff the golden rice with a fork. Plate a generous portion of the rice, top with the chicken salad, and garnish with pickled carrots and daikon, and sliced cucumber. Serve with extra fish sauce on the side for dipping. This dish is traditionally served at room temperature.
⏱️ 5 min