Khao Man Gai

Place the whole chicken in a pot, cover with water, add 1 tsp salt, half the ginger and 4 garlic cloves. Bring almost to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 35–45 minutes without vigorous boiling, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Strain about 1 L of the chicken broth for the rice and sauce. Separately bring another 500 ml of broth to a boil, add sliced daikon radish and cook for 15 minutes until tender; serve this clear soup alongside the dish.

Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs almost clear and drain well. Melt the chicken fat in a wide pot, add the remaining minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 3 minutes so the grains are coated in fat and glossy.

Pour in 1 L of hot chicken broth, add 1 tsp salt and white pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for another 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

For the nam jim, blend the fermented soybean paste, 4 garlic cloves, the remaining ginger, Thai chili peppers, white vinegar, palm sugar, light and dark soy sauce, and 60 ml of chicken broth until smooth. Taste — the sauce should be salty, sweet, sour and spicy all at once.

Carve the chicken: remove the meat from the thighs and breast and slice thinly across the grain.

Mound the rice on a plate, arrange the chicken on top, and serve with cucumber slices, cilantro, nam jim and a bowl of daikon soup on the side.