Chicken Rice Ginger Sauce
This is the recipe for the ginger sauce that accompanies Hainanese chicken rice. To me, the ginger sauce is as important a condiment as the chicken rice chilli sauce. It’s so yummy that I can eat it on its own! Some hawker stalls provide a small portion of the ginger sauce. If you takeaway chicken rice, they will usually give it to you only upon request. I suppose it’s the cost factor! Well at home, you can have a generous serving of ginger sauce, especially if you don’t take chilli.
Related Recipes:
Hainanese Chicken Rice (海南鸡饭)
- Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe
- Chicken Rice Chilli Sauce Recipe
- How to carve and de-bone a chicken
- Singapore Hawker Recipes
Apart from Hainanese chicken rice, the ginger sauce goes well with steamed chicken too.
The home-made version is really fast and easy with a food processor (pictured above). You can also adjust the consistency and texture of the sauce to your liking. For example, for a more watery and finer sauce like mine, add more broth and/or blend a bit more. For a chunkier version, don’t over-blend.
Chicken Rice Ginger Sauce
You can adjust the consistency and texture of the sauce to your liking. For example, for a more watery and finer sauce, add more chicken broth and blend a bit more. For a chunkier version, don’t over-blend.
Ingredients:
- 50 grams peeled ginger for best results, use young ginger
- 3 shallots peeled; optional
- 1 tbsp good-quality sesame oil
- 1 tbsp peanut oil or chicken oil*
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 1-2 tsp chicken seasoning powder optional; use if the chicken stock is not rich enough; to taste
- 2 tsp sugar to taste
- 1/8 tsp salt to taste
* Add 50 grams of chicken skin and fats, patted dry with kitchen towel, to a dry wok. Slowly heat up the wok and cook until the chicken oil is rendered.
Directions:
In a food processor, blend everything to a smooth paste. Add more sugar if the ginger sauce tastes sharp. Season to taste with salt or chicken powder if needed. Keeps for about a week in the fridge.
Noob Cook Tip
Which ginger to use? You may use either young ginger (recommended) which is milder and lighter in colour, or old ginger which is spicier (hence need a bit more sugar to balance the sharpness) and makes a more yellowish sauce. You can also use a a mixture of both, according to preference and availability.