Hainanese-Style Chicken With Zesty Carrot & Ginger Rice

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil half a kettle

Top, tail, peel and grate your carrot[s]

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) half your ginger

Rinse your white long grain rice until the water runs clear, then add to an oven-proof dish with the grated carrot, chopped ginger, your chicken stock mix and 300ml [390ml] [600ml] boiled water

Give everything a good mix up, cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your zesty carrot & ginger rice

Once cooked, remove from the oven and keep covered until serving

While the rice is cooking, trim, then roughly chop 1/3 of your spring onions

Roughly chop the remaining ginger

Add the chicken breast portion[s] to a medium sized pot (with a matching lid) with the chopped spring onion and remaining chopped ginger

Add 500ml [750ml] [1L] cold water to the pot and bring to the boil, with the lid on, over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 13-15 min (turning the chicken half way) or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!), then drain – this is your Hainanese-style chicken

Slice your cucumber into discs

Chop your tomato[es] in half, then slice finely

Trim, then slice the remaining spring onions

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Cut your lime[s] in half

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a low heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Add your soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, sliced spring onion[s], chopped garlic and chopped coriander with the juice of half the lime[s] and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and cook for 1-2 min or until warmed through – this is your fragrant lime dressing