It took only one taste of Portuguese Chicken Rice from Double Chin to realize I needed to discover how to cook the dish at home. I had not even purchased it by myself, but the friend I had, Alvin, was suitable to allow a group of us to sample his delicious dish, and I’m grateful for his generosity. Unfortunately, it’s not a recipe that’s very attractive; however, once you’ve tried it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
It begins with layers of chicken-fried rice, topped with a light coconut curry sauce. It is then topped with a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Then, everything is placed under the grill until it becomes foamy and gooey. It’s odd to put cheese on the other side of an Asian dish; however, it works well in this instance. The key to success is choosing a light melting cheese so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. I came up with a combination of provolone and mozzarella. I found it interesting that while searching for recipes online to try, many of them only mentioned “shredded cheese” as the ingredient, but without mentioning the kind of cheese it was. Maybe in Asia, there’s only one type of cheese!
I decided to refer to Lady and Pups’ version since I adore everything she makes, and this one seemed to be most like the one I made in Double Chin. The changes I made were that I cooked chicken and marinated it before serving instead of fish. I chose to use chicken breasts since I prefer white meat. However, it is possible to select thighs of chicken for those who like dark-colored meat. I added a few changes to her recipe according to what I had available (less scallions and less water in place of milk) and personal preferences (half the quantity of shallots).
Note that this recipe creates quite a lot of food. Mandy’s original recipe stated that it could serve two people, but I think it’s approximately six servings of Joy. If you’re wondering why it’s called Portuguese chicken rice, I believe it’s because of its location. Macau was one of the Portuguese colonies until the very end of the century. This dish is loved at Hong Kong cafes, and I’ve seen similar dishes in one of my favorite restaurants in Taiwan.
You can also try this recipe portuguese rice recipe
Macau Style Portuguese Chicken Rice (heavily adapting to Lady and Pups)
serves up to 4-6
- One lb. boneless chicken and cut in 1″ pieces
- One tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. One tablespoon of soy
- 1 cup rice wine
- Two tablespoons of vegetable oils
Blend all of the ingredients except for the oil. Let it marinate for 20 minutes.
Cook the oil on medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until lightly golden. Reduce the 2/3 for the rice you fry and chop it finely to make the sauce.
For the rice that has been fried:
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2-3 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups cooked day-old rice chilled
- 1 cup chopped up scallions
- White pepper and Kosher salt to taste
In a large saucepan, heat the oil to medium-high and add the eggs. Then, add the rice and stir to coat. When the rice is cooked to the desired temperature, add the scallions, salt, and white pepper to your preference. Add the chicken that you have reserved and mix until it is even. Remove from the stove and place aside.
To make the curry coconut:
- Two tablespoons of vegetable oils
- One shallot, finely chopped
- Three cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- One teaspoon grated ginger, one teaspoon
- One unsalted tablespoon of butter
- One teaspoon of curry powder
- 1 cup onion powder
- Two tablespoons finely shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup all-purpose or general-purpose flour
- 13.5 oz. Coconut milk is a good substitute
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 1/2 cups of mix of mozzarella shredded and provolone cheese, separated
- Use a small blender to blend the shallot, oil, and garlic cloves.
Mix it with minced ginger and butter. Then cook on medium-low heat in a saucepan for about a minute until aromatic. Add the onion powder, curry powder, coconut, and flour, and cook for a few minutes to roast the spices. Mix into the coconut milk and water, and bring to an unbeatable boil. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add the chopped chicken along with 1 cup of cheese.
The boiler should be heated. Transfer the fried rice to a coated or oven-safe pan. Diverse small dishes can also be used. Sprinkle the curry over the rice, then finish with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Broil for several minutes until it is brown on the edges and bubbly. Serve immediately.
