Chef Kenneth's Chicken Rice

this might be the best chicken rice I ever had so far... frfr

when I tell you this might be the best chicken rice I’ve ever had, I am seriously not exaggerating! To this day, my colleagues and I are still raving about it in the office.

that very first bite had me “wow-ing” out loud, but I also felt a little bit sad mostly because I realised I’d never find anything this good elsewhere in Singapore! we were incredibly well-fed at Chef Kenneth’s home, but I left with more than just a full belly; I left with his secret recipe in my hands! (hehe)

so, with Chef Kenneth’s permission (a huge thank you, Kenneth!), you get to try this legendary chicken rice at home! the only catch? you’ll have to make it yourself... but trust me, it’s low effort and highly rewarding. worth every single minute.

chef Kenneth with his chicken rice

before we dive into the recipe, you might be wondering: who is Chef Kenneth, and why is his recipe the gold standard? well, Kenneth has over 20 years of culinary experience in world-renowned restaurants like Saint Pierre and Les Amis, and he is currently the Head Chef of Bistro Du Vin. but beyond the fancy resume, he is a massive fan of chicken rice. he simply lives for it!

so combining his professional chef techniques with his personal passion, he has constantly experimented and refined this recipe until it reached absolute perfection. he’s done all the hard work and testing so that you can enjoy the best version possible!

the most shocking part of his process? the cooking method. instead of constantly attending to the chicken while its cooking, he has a better way. he brings the water to a rolling boil, turns off the heat, and places the uncooked chicken inside. he lets the residual heat do all the work!

chicken cooking method

this gentle poaching method retains all the internal moisture, ensuring the meat never overcooks or turns dry. once the timer is up, he plunges the chicken into an ice bath to stop the cooking immediately. this “shocks” the skin, making it tight, succulent, and incredibly silky. the result? Super juicy chicken that left us absolutely gobsmacked. can’t wait for you to try it out yourself!

a little bit more about his story in the video below:

@nomies.coqueue up for 1 hr for chicken rice 🙅🏼‍♀️ learn kenneth’s chicken rice 🙆🏼‍♀️ this story’s not just about chicken rice. it’s a story about how drug abuse affected Kenneth and his loved ones. because drug abuse affects not just the abuser but also the others around them. @cnb.drugfreesg #chickenrice #recipe #chicken #fyp

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Chicken Rice

(serves 3-4)

poach chicken + stock
1.4 kg chicken
100g garlic clove
100g old ginger
100g shallots (peeled)
2.5l water
17g salt

chicken rice
500g thai jasmine rice (or any of your choice)
30g fragrance oil*
23g old ginger, sliced
100g shallots
23g garlic
530g chicken stock (or water)
35g light soya sauce
23g lemongrass
18g pandan leaves
5g salt
12g chicken powder
5g sugar

! a fuss free method is to use a chicken rice premix and follow the directions on the packet

fragrance oil
500g chicken fat
500g grapeseed oil
21g old ginger (sliced)
21g garlic
21g shallots (peeled)

condiments
chili
133g water
42g chicken powder
66g sugar
66g ice
283g red chili
50g chili padi
13g salt
133g garlic clove
200g young ginger, peeled
83g calamansi juice

ginger
555g old ginger (peeled)
333g spring onions (chopped)
16g sugar
4g salt
22g chicken powder
444g grapeseed oil

dressing sauce
60g oyster sauce
80g water

directions:

making the fragrance oil (for the rice, if not using premix)

• heat a pot with grapeseed oil and render the chicken fat it’ll caramelised

• then add in old ginger, garlic, shallots and cook till caramelised, set it aside

cooking the chicken

• dislocate the chicken hip joint from the thigh and remove chicken feet and head

• in a big pot, add in water, garlic, old ginger, shallot, salt and bring it to a boil

• gently place the chicken in the pot, cover and turn off the fire. allow it to poach in residue heat for about 50 mins

• before removing the chicken, prepare an ice bath. then strain the chicken and allow it to cool in the ice bath for 30 mins, set aside

cooking the rice

• wash the rice till water runs clear, set aside

• heat fragrance oil in a pan and roast old ginger, shallot, garlic and salt till caramelised and fragrant

• in a rice cooker, place the rice, roasted fragrance oil mix, water (or chicken stock) and sugar together and cook

• once rice is cooked, add in the lemongrass and pandan and cover. allow the residue heat to infuse the fragrance into the rice

condiments to pair with chicken rice

making chili sauce

• blend all ingredients together and set in fridge (overnight for flavour development, optional)

making ginger sauce

• blend ginger with water and strain, squeezing ginger paste till dry, set aside in a heatproof bowl

• blend chopped spring onion and strain, squeezing it dry. then mix it in with the ginger paste

• season the ginger-onion paste with sugar, salt, chicken powder, mix

• next, in a pot, heat up oil till reach smoking point then pour it over the ginger-onion paste and mix well

putting the dish together

• take out the cooled chicken and slice it. do note that it might be a bit pink, but it is fully cooked. you can wash it under the water to remove the blood

• arrange it to your liking and drizzle the dressing sauce (mixture of oyster sauce and water), with the fragrant oil or shallot oil

• serve the chicken with rice and the sauces on the side!

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if you are looking for more inspirations, check these links below: