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Bai Mon

Bai Mon is a delicious traditional Cambodian dish consisting of rice and chicken, that is typically steamed.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian , Cambodian

Ingredients

For the chicken
  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 quarts water
For the sauce
  • 6 small red hot peppers
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup fish sauce
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 cups boiled water
  • 2 oz. ginger
  • 5 cloves garlic
For the rice
  • 5 cups long grain white rice (ideally jasmine rice)
  • 3 cubes chicken broth , diluted in ½ cup boiling water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 scallions , chopped
  • Chicken's cooking juices
To accompany
  • 2 cucumbers , cut into sticks
  • 1 lettuce
  • A few scallions , cut into sticks
Equipment
  • Steamer basket

Instructions

Chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large pot with a steamer basket, boil the 4 quarts of water.
  2. Coat the chicken with salt.
  3. Place the chicken in the steamer basket and cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Then, turn the chicken over and cook for another 20 minutes.
  5. Reserve the chicken cooking water.
  6. Cut the chicken into pieces.
Sauce
  1. Mix the peppers, ginger, garlic cloves and half of the boiling water in a blender.
  2. Pour this mixture into a large salad bowl and add the remaining boiling water, vinegar, sugar and fish sauce. Stir well with a beater.
  3. Reserve this sauce to water the rice.
Rice
  1. Wash the rice 3 times and then soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Remove the excess fat from the chicken cooking water and take 1¼ cup/600ml (keep the rest in the pot).
  3. In a wok, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Mix well and fry until golden.
  4. Add the scallions, mix well and cook for 20 seconds.
  5. Remove half of this mixture and reserve in a bowl.
  6. Add the drained rice and mix well.
  7. Add the diluted chicken broth cubes and mix well.
  8. Add the sugar and fish sauce and mix well.
  9. Finally, add the reserved 1¼ cup/600ml broth, mix well and cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.
  10. Place the pot of stock broth over a high heat.
  11. Place the rice in a large thin cheesecloth and place this cloth in the steamer basket of the pot.
  12. Lower the heat, cover and steam the rice for 30 minutes.
  13. Serve the following in a large dish: a few spoons of rice, a piece of chicken. Sprinkle rice with reserved garlic/scallion mixture.
  14. Place a small bowl of sauce, lettuce, cucumbers and scallions on the side or center of the dish.
  15. Sprinkle with sauce.