Chicken Rice

Back on Hainan Island, a local breed of fowl called wen chang chicken is used for this dish. Hainanese cooks favour hens of a certain age: not so young that their flesh is bland, but not so old and tired from egg-laying that their meat is tough. Ideally, the meat should have a slight resilience to it and both meat and fat must be flavourful. Kampong chickens and capons both work well.