AIP Hainanese Chicken

When I first starting focusing on healing my gut, I toyed around with different ways of eating to aid my digestion. I dug through my childhood food vault and remembered this long time favorite - Hainanese Chicken. I used think it must be difficult to make because it is so tasty.  Upon a little research, I realized that it is pretty easy and simple to make although does take a few extra steps. I assure you that the added effort is well worth it! The traditional recipe uses the whole chicken and is served with rice, but substitute with cauliflower rice or just eat it with a whole lot of steamed Asian greens like choy sum or Gai lan and you have an AIP and low FODMAP meal.

Serves 4 Prep time 15 mins Cook time 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 whole non medicated chicken 
• 2 -4 stalks of green onions
• 2-3" ginger root
• 2-3 tbsp sea salt
• 1-2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil or melted lard
• coconut aminos

(Optional) Ginger Sauce

• 2-3" peel ginger root ( grated)
• 1 stalk green onion ( finely minced)
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge

Instructions

1. Prepare chicken by rinsing your chicken in water and pad dry with paper towel.
2. (Photo 1) Scrub the skin smooth with sea salt. Yes exfoliate your chicken! 
3. Stuff the chicken with ginger slices and green onion sections and tie off with legs to keep the herbs inside.
4. Prepping an ice water bath by fill a second pot ( same size as cooking one) with ice and water. This is an important step to shrink the skin and stops the cooking to make the skin springy and chicken juicy.
5. Bring a big pot of water to boil ( keep in mind if you are cooking the whole chicken that your pot has to be big enough to fit the chicken in with water covering)
6. add 1 tsp sea salt and 2" of ginger root in water  
7. ( Photo 2 ) put chicken in rumbled salted water now on med heat for 20 min. 
8. When the chicken is cooked (No more pink liquid running out), take it out of hot water and dunk into ice water bath.  This stops the cooking and shrinks the skin to make it springy. 
9. ( Photo 3 ) Let it sit for a few minutes.
10. The cooking water becomes the beginning of a broth. It's not the same as long simmer bone broth but add some sliced mushrooms and more fresh green onion  and you have quick tasty clear soup to go with your chicken.
11. Serve with Cauliflower rice, poached kale, pickled cucumbers and ginger sauce