Hainanese Chicken Rice

I cannot even begin to describe how tired I was yesterday standing from 1 pm to 5:30 pm learning and preparing the extremely popular Asian dish called Hainanese Chicken Rice.

The master instructor, Chef See, originally from Malaysia, requested that we do not take down notes while he demonstrates. So I made sure I watched and listened very carefully so as not to miss any important aspect of my weird culinary journey.

Ven (son of the owner of Sunnycare tissue paper, he just wants to learn now that he’s married. Dapat yung wife mo ang nag-enrol, hindi ikaw) and Ken (21 year old graduating student from College of Saint Benilde)

I will just buy chili sauce from the grocery rather than go thru hard labor just to prepare this stuff. Or dikdikin ko na lang yung mga sili, pigaan ng kalamansi at tapos na.

By 3 pm, I felt so tired. I could feel the ngawit from my upper and lower backs, from my waist and down to my legs, tuhod, feet. I know when I am tired. And I know when it’s the kind of tiredness that could kill my day. And I know this could escalate into migraine attack.

There’s no chair in their kitchen so I climbed on one of the stainless steel counters, never mind if it’s not allowed. Chef See saw me and he got the clue. He said we can have a ten-minute break. So I jumped off the counter and walked to the lobby. I couldn’t even walk. I was extremely tired. Ten minutes is not enough to recoup my energy.

Enderun uses the best kitchen equipments and gadgets. The pots and casseroles were all cast iron. I could not even carry one pot. More so when it’s full of stock. The pot’s cover was so heavy parang dalawampung kilo sa bigat. I had to use both my hands to lift it. This probably also contributed to my exhaustion.

We’re back after 10 minutes, Chef continued with the cooking demonstration, this time he was teaching us how to prepare the three kinds of sauces that go with Hainanese Chicken Rice. My head started throbbing, I felt sudden bursts of pain on my right temple. it was 4 pm. He said “we’re going to cook the chicken rice”. Huh? the lessons were supposed to end at 4 pm. Bago pa lang kami magsasaing? By this time, I am already a bit disoriented. This is bad. I went down to the bar near their Restaurant 101 and ordered a glass of fresh watermelon shake so I could drink and take biogesic and bonamine.

I was really really tired and wanted to go home. But I would miss the most important part of this whole thing, the rice. The chef said the rice must be so good that even if there’s no chicken, you would be satisfied.

I went back to the kitchen and Chef See was into Step 4, the preparation of the rice and everything that would go in it. I couldn’t focus because I was busy breathing and trying to hold-up so as not to collapse there. I do not want to steal the thunder from the chicken by collapsing and looking like a dead chicken. I also missed some of the things that I had to do to make the best sauces. I was really so tired.

Chef See

With Kirsten, she, her expat husband and 2 toddlers live in nearby Forbes Park. She looks like a Filipina meztisa but she’s a foreigner. She lived in Manila though when she was six up to 12 years old and studied at the British School. Her father was also an expat.

Deboning and Plating

Ola ola, eto na sya. Let’s dig in.

I brought home half-a chicken, rice and the sauces. The only consolation is my husband and my children liked it so much and they said “authentic”.

Honestly, I don’t even know if I would be able to repeat that same taste. I lost my energy towards the most important steps and I forgot most of the processes and ingredients that I used.

I don’t even know if I would have the energy and inclination to re-do this again. I was so excited to learn how to make Hainanese Chicken Rice, but after yesterday, I never expected that a lot of effort, expense and ingredients go into this dish. I would need three (3) days preparation to re-do this.

Day 1- The first day I have to buy a live, meaning breathing, chicken, not chilled, not frozen, not dressed. Repeat- ONLY LIVE CHICKEN CAN DO WELL WITH THIs DISH. Never never frozen or dressed. In choosing which chicken to buy, I have to carry and hold the breasts and feel if they’re malusog. Dapat 38D ang size, I should not feel the bones.
Then kill the chicken, remove the feathers, the blood, internal organs, etc. kailangan very clean. Remove the neck too but leave the feet and the neck skin.

Put the stuffing inside the chicken tummy- ginger, garlic, lemon grass, salt, etc. Then leave in the ref overnight or for 24 hours.

Day 2- The cooking that requires HARD LABOR.

Day 3- Whole day bed rest from exhaustion!!!!

Verdict- Easier, Faster and Cheaper to go to a restaurant. Or go to Mercato and pay P150 for a delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice!!!