Cơm Gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice with Herb Salad)
Local name: Cơm gà Hội An
In short: Poached chicken shredded over turmeric rice cooked in the chicken broth, with a tangy cabbage and herb salad and a sharp ginger dipping sauce. It takes about 1 h 25 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 630 kcal
Cơm gà is a Hội An favorite, found in small shops that sell little else. A whole chicken is poached gently, and the rice is cooked in the same golden broth with garlic and turmeric. The meat is torn into strips and piled on the rice with a salad of cabbage, onion and rau răm dressed in lime and fish sauce, plus a ginger dip for the chicken. A small bowl of broth comes on the side.
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a pot just big enough to hold it. Add the ginger, shallots, fish sauce, salt and cold water. Bring to a boil, skim, then lower to the barest simmer, cover and poach for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave the chicken covered for 15 minutes more, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F) and the juices run clear. Lift it out and rest for 15 minutes.
- Strain the broth. Measure 450 ml (scant 2 cups) for the rice and keep the rest as a soup to sip alongside.
- Rinse the rice. Heat the oil in a pot, fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the rice and turmeric for 1 minute. Add the 450 ml of broth and the salt, bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes.
- Tear the chicken meat into long strips, keeping or discarding the skin as you like.
- Toss the cabbage, onion, rau răm, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and pepper together and leave for 10 minutes. Stir the dipping sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves.
- Serve the rice on plates topped with shredded chicken and a pile of salad. Pass the ginger sauce and small bowls of hot broth.
Tips
- Never let the poaching water boil hard, because it toughens the meat and splits the skin. A barely trembling simmer keeps the chicken juicy.
- Use the leftover broth for soup the next day. For the golden color without turmeric, stir in a spoon of annatto oil when cooking the rice.
Questions and answers
How is Hội An chicken rice different from Hainanese chicken rice?
The Hội An version has turmeric-yellow rice and shredded chicken, with a tangy cabbage and herb salad, instead of sliced chicken with chili and ginger sauces.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole bird?
Yes. Use 1 kg of bone-in thighs and drumsticks and poach them for 25 minutes, until cooked through at 74°C (165°F).
Can I prepare cơm gà ahead of time?
Poach the chicken and make the broth a day ahead, and keep the chicken in its broth in the fridge. Cook the rice fresh and make the salad just before serving.
How long does it take to make Cơm Gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice with Herb Salad)?
About 1 h 25 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 1 h of cooking.
How many calories are in Cơm Gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice with Herb Salad)?
About 630 kcal per serving, with 42 g of protein, 74 g of carbohydrates and 18 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 630 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | 74 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 1500 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
