Crispy Chicken Rice with Chilli Garlic Sauce

For the chilli garlic sauce, add the bird’s-eye chillies, garlic cloves and fresh ginger into a pestle and mortar and bash for a minute or so until a chunky consistency. Finely mince the coriander and spring onion, separating the whites from the greens. Add ½ the minced coriander and all the spring onion whites to the bashed aromatics then season with salt and set aside.

Add the remaining coriander and spring onion greens to a bowl of ice-cold water and set aside for garnish.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan set over a high heat for about 3 mins or until just smoking, then carefully pour the hot oil into the pestle and mortar to scorch the aromatics. Juice in ½ the lime (reserve the rest for later) and add the rice vinegar, sriracha, sugar and dark soy sauce. Mix well to combine then set aside.

For the rice, finely mince the garlic cloves and slice the fresh ginger into thin matchsticks. Wash the rice three times until the water runs clear then drain. Heat a glug of vegetable oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger matchsticks and whole spring onion and fry for a minute until softened, then add the rice, a pinch of salt and the chicken stock. Stir once to combine then pop a lid on, turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. As soon as the water is at a rolling boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and set a timer for 18 mins with the lid on. Once cooked, turn the heat off and set aside, with the lid on, until ready to serve.

While the rice is cooking, pat the chicken skin with kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible, then season with a generous pinch of salt. Add the chicken thighs to a cold pan, skin-side down, and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 10 mins without touching or moving the chicken, until the fat is rendered and the skin is crispy and golden. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 3 mins or until cooked through, then remove, set aside to rest for 5 mins and slice into 1cm strips.

Just before serving, drain the water from the spring onion greens and coriander then season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of the remaining lime juice.

To serve, divide the rice between plates and top with the chicken thighs. Generously spoon over the chilli garlic sauce, using the back of the spoon to spread evenly. Finish with the fresh spring onion greens and coriander mix.