Xôi gà is steamed sticky rice with chicken, and you can find it at many vendors around Ho Chi Minh City. It brings together chicken meat, sausage and scallion oil: the rice is steamed with slices of sausage, then topped with shredded marinated chicken and a little scallion oil. Plan ahead: the sticky rice soaks overnight, and the chicken marinates overnight. Ingredients 3 cups of sticky rice (“normal bowl meal” in the original) 3–4 chicken thighs (use more or less, as you like) 1–2 sausages Scallions, five-spice powder, soy sauce, sugar, salt, fish sauce, leeks 1 small bunch of sticky rice leaves 2 tablespoons oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the scallion oil “Cotton scrub” (the original’s word — probably chà bông, pork floss), if you like How to make xôi gà 1. Prepare the rice, chicken and sausage Wash the sticky rice and soak it overnight with salt. Score 3–4 lines on each chicken leg. Marinate the chicken overnight with a bit of the five-spice powder, soy sauce, sugar, salt, fish sauce and chopped leeks. Wash the sausage and slice it about 1 cm thick. You can use the frozen sausage or cut them in half. 2. Cook the chicken Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the chicken, turning it so it cooks evenly. Add a bit of boiling water to the bowl the chicken marinated in, pour it into the pan and boil everything together until the chicken is cooked. Put the chicken in a bowl and let it cool. 3. Steam the sticky rice Put the sticky rice in the steamer (“autoclave” in the original). Remember to add 1 bunch of sticky rice leaves, tied together, for more fragrance. Stir the sticky rice from time to time. Add the sliced sausage to the steamer and mix well. Shred the cooled chicken. 4. Make the scallion oil Put the chopped scallions in a bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and microwave for 30 seconds, until cooked. When the sticky rice is cooked, stir it well. 5. Serve Ladle the sticky rice and sausage onto a plate. Spread the shredded chicken over the top and sprinkle on a little scallion oil. If you like, add some “cotton scrub” (the original’s word — probably chà bông, pork floss). Eat it hot. Share:
