A Classic Never Goes Out of Style

                                              I told you once, I told you twice
                                             All seasons of the year are nice
        For eating chicken soup, eating chicken soup, eating chicken soup with rice.
 
So goes the grand finale in the classic children’s story Chicken Soup with Rice, A Tale of Months, written by famed author and general wild thing, Maurice Sendak. Mr. Sendak has a way with words to be sure, but he also has a way with the psyches of children and adults alike. His rhythmic writing makes for an unusual but addictive read.
 
Sendak’s book Chicken Soup With Rice is a pint-sized piece no bigger than your hand, yet it's packed with memorable prose. A slightly strange thread weaves a plot in which the protagonist enjoys a bowl of chicken soup with rice each month, using this unusual culinary choice to teach children the months of the year. This may sound strange to those without kids, but as the father of a two-year-old, the verses seem to make perfect sense to me, having been burned into my brain from multiple daily readings.
 
And so it’s no wonder that during a recent food-related fact-finding mission to Malaysia, I could not help but sing a few lines from the book under my breath every time I ordered the famous Malaysian “Chicken Rice.” This is a dish adapted from Chinese Hainanese origins that has become part of the culinary fabric of the country, and much like chicken soup, it is judged on its simplistic virtue, as opposed to the fancification of tradition. It is like Mr. Sendak’s soup with a twist — it forgoes the “soup” component, yet manages to capture every ounce of flavor through a time-tested technique. The chicken is slowly simmered in master stock, a perpetual poaching liquid that is a building block of flavor in many Asian countries. This aromatic liquid is used over and over again, and with each use, the poached chicken absorbs the stock's flavor while imparting its own back into the broth. This give and take builds the taste day in and day out, becoming a vital part of the final result.
 
Once cooked, the chicken is sliced into beautifully moist pieces. In this dish, the chicken takes second billing to the rice, which is elevated from side starch to center stage. The magic happens when the master stock, glistening from the slick of schmaltz on top and delivering wisps of gingery scallion aroma, is used to cook the everyday white rice, transforming it with layers of complex flavor.
 
Most of the Malaysian restaurants I visited garnish this deceptively simple dish with some sliced cucumber, to break the white chicken-white plate-white rice motif, and serve it with a selection of dipping sauces, although those in the know will tell you that the proper way to enjoy the wonderful nuanced flavor is on its own. The simple, satisfying result is hard to quantify; you taste delicate poached chicken alongside rice that has bathed in and absorbed the chicken’s broth, augmented with Asian aromatics that whisper of haunting flavors. You can go for more famous dishes, more expensive dishes, or more “gourmet” ingredients, but as with a good book, sometimes the simple classics are hard to match. Thanks, Maurice.

Brad's Malaysian Chicken Rice Recipe