Com Ga Nha Trang gives golden rice cooked in the chicken poaching liquid, served with shredded chicken and a smooth, rich egg sauce. The snappy chicken skin is what makes the plate.
The hard part is the egg sauce, because pouring the oil too fast splits it. The chicken goes straight into ice water once poached, which is what firms the skin. The rice is cooked in the poaching liquid itself, one part rice to 1.2 parts liquid.
This batch weighs about 3.6kg, at roughly 116 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 100g rice twice and drain. Clean the chicken with salt and lime to clear any off smell.
Bring about 2 liters of water to a boil with 5g bruised ginger, 3g salt, 10g shallot and 30g sliced onion.
Poach the chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes depending on its size. Lift it straight into ice water so the skin firms up, drain, then shred into small pieces. Keep the poaching liquid.
Set a pot over the heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil, fry 5g minced shallot over low heat until fragrant, then add 3g turmeric powder and stir quickly to bring out the color.
Add the 100g rinsed rice and fry for about 2 minutes, then pour in the poaching liquid at a ratio of 1 part rice to 1.2 parts liquid, cover and cook until the rice is tender.
Make the egg sauce: separate 1 egg yolk into a bowl and whisk with a fork until it loosens and pales. Pour in 200ml cooking oil in a slow stream, stirring in one direction until the mixture is smooth, pale and thick.
Mix the dipping sauce: in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced chili.
Spoon the rice onto plates, top with the shredded chicken and add fried shallots, fresh herbs and pickled vegetables. Spoon the egg sauce over, drizzle on a little of the dipping sauce and serve the rest on the side.
Tips
Plunging the chicken into ice water right after poaching is the step that makes the skin firm and snappy.
Frying the turmeric powder until fragrant before the rice goes in is what gives the grains their golden color.
A very slow stream of oil and stirring in one direction keep the egg sauce fluffy and stop it from splitting.
Cooking the rice in the poaching liquid rather than plain water gives fuller flavor.
If the sauce splits, beat a fresh egg yolk and pour the split sauce into it slowly to bring it back together.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.