Hainanese-style poached chicken with shredded greens

1. Put the chicken fillets and 1 tbsp of the Hainanese paste in a bowl, and stir until coated. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Put the chicken stock in a small saucepan and heat until just simmering. Lower the mini fillets into the stock and cook very gently for 10 minutes.

2. Remove the thick stalks from the leaf greens, roll up the leaves and shred as finely as possible. Tip the sesame seeds into a dry frying pan and heat for a couple of minutes until the seeds are lightly toasted. Tip out onto a plate.

3. Warm the sesame oil in the frying pan and stir in the rice, remaining Hainanese paste, shredded greens and half the coriander. Cook gently, stirring frequently until very hot. When the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat and the juices run clear, lift the pieces out of the pan and add the stock to the rice, increasing the heat so the stock bubbles and reduces. Spoon onto plates, top with the sliced chicken and serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and remaining coriander.

Cook’s tip Hainanese is a fiery ginger paste, based on a traditional recipe from the Chinese island of Hainan. It’s used in chicken dishes but works equally well with fish.