Poached chicken is the quiet one. No colour, no char, nothing to hide behind, which is exactly why the rayu works so hard here. The broccolini takes the fire instead. Peanuts, sesame and tamari go over both and the plate holds together.
35 mins. Serves 2.
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken breasts, about 250g each
- 1 bunch Broccolini
- 3 dessertspoons Plateit Japanese Peanut Rayu
- 3 slices Ginger
- 2 Spring onions, halved
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- ½ Lemon
- Salt, generous
- Steamed rice, to serve
Method
- Chicken into a pot just big enough to hold it, covered by 3cm of cold water with the ginger, spring onion and a big pinch of salt.
- Bring it up slowly to a bare simmer. The moment the first bubbles break the surface, lid on and off the heat.
- Leave it 20 to 25 mins. It finishes in the residual heat and stays silky. A rolling boil turns breast to rope.
- Broccolini into a screaming hot dry pan or onto the barbecue with the oil. Three to four mins, turning, until the stems blister and the tips go black.
- Lift the chicken out, rest 5 mins, slice thick against the grain.
- Rice down. Chicken and broccolini over it. Spoon 3 dessertspoons of Plateit Japanese Peanut Rayu across both. Lemon.
Do this: Keep the poaching liquid. It is ginger chicken stock and it makes the rice worth eating.
Tip: Char the broccolini harder than feels sensible. The blackened tips are where the rayu clings.
