Khao man gai — Thailand

Khao man gai is built from a whole chicken poached slowly in water flavored with ginger and garlic, served sliced over rice that is cooked in the rendered chicken fat and some of the poaching stock, so the grains pick up the same flavor as the meat. This dish is found across Thailand at street stalls and small shops that often serve little else, from Bangkok to provincial towns, where a whole poached chicken hangs ready to be sliced to order throughout the day. The chicken is poached over low heat so the meat stays moist, then rested and sliced; the fat skimmed from the poaching liquid is used to fry garlic and ginger before the rice is added and cooked in this fat together with some of the stock. A bowl of the remaining broth, often with a little pickled vegetable, is served on the side. The dish is completed by a sauce made from fermented soybean, ginger, garlic, chili and vinegar or lime, spooned over the chicken at the table; the balance of this sauce, more than the chicken or rice, is what stall owners are generally judged on and varies noticeably from one stall to another.