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Sekai Gohan

Xôi Gà: Hanoi Sticky Rice Steamed with Chicken

A plate of xôi gà: steamed glutinous rice topped with shredded chicken, golden fried shallots and green scallion oil, with pickled cucumber on the side, a Vietnamese breakfast
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Glutinous rice (nếp) 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) The base. Soaked, then steamed under the chicken
Free-range chicken ½ chicken Steamed on top of the rice; its fat and juices season the grains
Grated coconut Half a small bowl Mixed into the rice before steaming and again at the end, for fragrance and richness
Scallions (green onions) 2 Made into scallion oil to spoon over the plate
Shallots 2 Sliced thin and fried golden for the topping
Chicken fat or cooking oil A little For frying the shallots and making the scallion oil
Vinegar A little Rubbed on the chicken with salt to clean it, then rinsed off
Salt To taste For cleaning the chicken and seasoning the rice
Seasoning powder A little A light seasoning rubbed into the chicken

Steps

  1. 1Soak the rice

    Put the glutinous rice in a large bowl, cover it generously with water and swirl it with your hand until the water turns cloudy. Pour off the cloudy water, cover again with fresh water and leave it to soak for 5 to 7 hours. The grains swell and turn opaque white. The rice is ready when a grain pressed between your fingers crumbles easily with no hard centre.

  2. 2Clean and season the chicken

    Wash the half chicken and set it on a board. Sprinkle it with a little salt and vinegar and rub them all over the skin and into the cavity with both hands. Rinse the chicken under running water and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Rub a little seasoning powder over it and set it aside; the skin should feel tacky and look evenly coated, not wet.

  3. 3Slice the shallots and scallions

    Peel the shallots and slice them thin and even, so they fry at the same pace. Pat the slices dry with paper towels; dry shallots brown evenly instead of steaming in the oil. Chop the scallions into thin rounds, keeping the white and green parts in separate bowls. The shallot slices should be thin enough to see the knife through and separate into loose rings.

  4. 4Season the rice with salt and coconut

    Tip the soaked rice into the colander and let it drain well. Move it to a wide bowl, add salt to taste and part of the grated coconut, keeping the rest for the end. Fold everything together gently with your hand. The grains should stay separate and slightly damp, with white flecks of coconut spread through the whole bowl.

  5. 5Steam the rice with the chicken on top

    Bring the water in your steamer pot to a strong boil. Line the steamer basket with a damp cotton cloth and spread the rice over it in an even layer. Lay the chicken skin side up on the rice, cover, and steam for about 45 minutes. The rice is done when the grains have turned glossy and translucent and a grain from the edge is tender all the way through.

    Wrap the lid

    Tie a cloth around the steamer lid before you cover the pot. Condensation dripping off a bare lid lands on the rice in wet patches and turns it pasty; the cloth catches it.

  6. 6Lift out the chicken and check it

    Lift the chicken onto a plate. Push the thermometer into the thickest part, close to the bone, and check for 167°F (75°C) held for at least 1 minute. Cut near the bone as well: the juices should run clear with no red or pink. If it falls short, put it back on the rice and steam longer, then check again.

    Chicken safety

    Forty-five minutes is a guide; a larger bird or a gentler steamer needs longer. Judge by the centre temperature and the cut near the bone, never by the clock alone. Red juices from a skewer mean the chicken is undercooked.

  7. 7Finish the rice with coconut

    Let the rice cool for a few minutes in the basket, uncovered. Fluff it with chopsticks to break up the clumps and let the excess steam escape. Scatter in the remaining coconut, mix it through and steam for 5 more minutes while the chicken rests. The grains are ready when they stand separate and glossy and the coconut smells warm and sweet.

  8. 8Fry the shallots and make the scallion oil

    If you are rendering chicken fat, put a little chicken skin in a small pan over low heat until the fat runs clear, then lift out the skin. Warm the fat or oil over medium-low heat, add the shallots and fry, stirring, until they turn light golden. Lift them out onto paper towels with a slotted spoon. Add the scallions to the same hot fat, stir them through once or twice and take the pan off the heat while they are still bright green.

    Stop early

    Shallots keep browning after they leave the oil, and a few seconds too long turns them bitter. The scallions also darken in the hot fat after the heat is off, so take the pan off the burner the moment they turn vivid.

    Hot oil

    Keep the heat moderate and the pan on a back burner. Make sure the shallots are dry before they go in, so the fat does not spit, and keep children away from the stove while you fry.

  9. 9Plate and serve

    Fluff the rice once more and mound it on plates. Cut or pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on top. Spoon the scallion oil over the chicken and rice, then scatter the fried shallots last so they stay crisp. Serve right away, while the rice is still steaming and the shallots crackle.