Coffee shop stall: make a chicken rice by heart

"Rural" Hainan chicken rice is presided over by Yan Shijin (left) and his son Yan Juliang.

Wen/Mo Meiyan Photography/Li Baijuan

"If you want to do catering, you can't be afraid of hard work." This is the heartfelt words of Yan Shijin (65 years old), the owner of Hainan chicken rice in rural areas.

Yan Shijin has been operating Hainan chicken rice stall for more than 30 years. He can do everything himself, including making various seasonings such as chili sauce and minced ginger. Because of his insistence, there is always a long queue of people in front of the Hainan chicken rice stall in rural areas.

Before selling chicken, Yan Shijin had been a sailor for six years. His cooking skills were accumulated on board. After landing, he studied them by himself. Finally, he found out the way to cook Hainan chicken rice and curry. The earliest stalls were on Haige Road, and later moved to the current site of Hongmao Bridge. The booth is named after "rural area" and has a strong local flavor.

Yan Shijin said that raising chickens and ducks in rural areas, with "rural" as a signboard, people can easily associate the food he sells.

Tell me the secret of cooking chicken without hiding anything

"Countryside" opened at 10 a.m., but Yan Shijin started work at 5 a.m. to prepare seasonings. Apart from dishes, he makes sauces every two days, including hot pepper sauce for Hainanese chicken rice and mutton soup. Hainan chicken rice, mutton soup and mutton curry are the three signature dishes of "countryside".

"Rural" Hainan chicken soft tender juicy, Yan Shijin has a set of their own practices. "The water used to cook the chicken must be hot enough. The seasoning must include rock sugar, but no salt. The chicken must be cooked over low heat for an hour. Not only will the chicken not be dry, but it will also taste sweet." Yan Shijin told reporters his secret of cooking chicken without hiding anything.

"Rural" chicken rice taste very good, the original also has tips, that is, the edible oil used, onions, garlic should be fresh, not overnight, but also with good rice cooking, moisture should also pay attention to. Chili sauce and ginger served with chicken is "rural" homemade. Chili sauce ground very fine, spicy and fragrant. Yan Shijin specially uses Cambodia chili, add four or five ingredients including garlic, onion, ginger flower and so on.

Chicken rice has soup, but "rural" soup is not ordinary boiled chicken soup. Yan Shijin adds 10 cabbage to the soup every day and cooks a large pot of vegetable soup slowly until it is sold out. There are chicken and vegetables, which is a more balanced meal.

Sautéed lamb chops with southern milk

The mutton soup materials of this stall are angelica sinensis, Beiqi, wolfberry and black fungus, etc., lamb chops are fried with southern milk before being put into the pot, which is the practice of Hainan mutton soup. Mutton soup taste traditional, rich taste, the most pleasant is that mutton is not hard, no mutton smell, and not greasy. It turned out that Yan Shijin's lamb chops had been oiled before they were put into the pot. Yan Shijin not only refused to be careless with mutton soup, but also specially made chili sauce with it. Not only did he have to grind it to be young, but he also fried it with southern milk.

"Rural" curry mutton, slightly spicy and sweet is also a traditional Hainan flavor, is like mutton and Hainan curry lovers relish a dish.

"Rural" by Yan Shijin and his son Yan Juliang (35 years old) in charge. Yan Juliang said that chicken rice is still delicious cooked by his father, curry dishes are slightly better than his father. Father and son cooperate closely, each with his own strengths, and the taste of customers is not small.

> Booth: Rural Hainan Chicken Rice

Inside the coffee shop, Block 408, Hongmao Bridge Road 10

10 a.m. To 4 p.m.

Closed every Wednesday

China Coffee Trading Network: www.gafei.com