A flavorful recipe for chicken over crispy rice, featuring a brine for tender chicken, a rich salted egg yolk sauce, and sticky glutinous rice cooked to perfection with a crispy bottom.
For the Brine: Bring all brine ingredients except the ice to a boil. Pour over the ice to cool down completely. Add the chicken and brine for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Optionally, dry the chicken uncovered overnight after brining to achieve crispier skin. Spatchcock the chicken after brining.
For the Salted Egg Yolk Sauce: Blend the salted egg yolks in a food processor until they crumble. Add the crumbled egg yolks to a pan with neutral oil over medium-low heat until bubbling. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (sugar, salt, MSG, diced jalapeno, sliced scallion, roughly chopped dried Chinese chillies) and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep until ready to serve. This sauce can be refrigerated and reheated.
For the Sticky Rice: Soak the sweet glutinous rice in room temperature water for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Wash the soaked rice and drain. Combine the drained rice with the chopped shallot, minced garlic, minced ginger, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Steam the rice over parchment paper or cheesecloth for about 10-12 minutes until al dente.
Assembly and Cooking: Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large cast iron skillet (ideally 12 inches) and add the steamed rice. Place the spatchcocked chicken on top of the rice and place the skillet in a 325 F oven for 30-40 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken). Once the chicken is nearly cooked (the breast should read 150-155 F and the thighs 160 F), turn on the broiler and crisp the skin for about 5-10 minutes. If the rice is not yet crispy, add some neutral oil on the side of the pan and place it over medium heat until the rice becomes crispy.
