Hoisin Sauce & Five-Spice Grilled Chicken Rice (Inspired by Malaysian Roast Chicken Rice)

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken Thighs:
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsps light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsps hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 500g (1 pound) chicken thigh fillets (skinless)
Garnishes:
• A handful of coriander leaves
• 1 Lebanese cucumber (or 2 smaller sized cucumbers), sliced
Gravy To Go With Rice:
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 drop of sesame oil
• Drippings from the grilled chicken
Accompaniment:
• 4 servings of cooked rice (equivalent of 1 1/2 cups of raw rice)
• Sriracha sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil followed by baking paper for ease of cleaning and we will be using the drippings for the gravy later on.
2. To prepare the marinade, we add salt, five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, grated garlic and cooking oil in a bowl. Stir¬¬ until well combined. Note – it may seem like a lot of salt but don’t worry as the chicken loses the marinade as it grills so they won’t be too salty.
3. Add marinade to chicken thighs and mix until well combined. Marinade the chicken for an hour or overnight if the time permits. I actually grill them in the oven without marinating and they taste fine.
4. Bake the chicken thighs in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until they became fully cooked and you can see nice subtle charring on the chicken. While waiting for the chicken to be cooked, slice the cucumber and coriander.
5. After the chicken thighs are cooked, transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate and keep warm by covering an aluminium foil over them.
6. To prepare the gravy, add a Tablespoon of hoisin sauce, ½ cup water, 1 tsp of ground white pepper, a drop of sesame oil and the drippings into a microwave proof jug. Mix well and heat up the gravy in the microwave for a minute or until well heated through. Note - time may vary according to the brand of microwave.
7. To serve, first slice the chicken thighs (I use a pair of scissors to do the slicing). To assemble the dish, add rice, followed by sliced chicken thighs, cucumber, coriander and ladle a small amount of gravy over the rice. Serve immediately with Sriracha sauce on and enjoy.