• If your chicken comes with the head, neck and feet, chop them off along with the wing tips and add to a stock pot large enough to put the chicken into. Add onions, daikon (if using), garlic, ginger, cilantro roots and white peppercorns. Add enough water to generously submerge all ingredients. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes to infuse the herbs.
  1 whole chicken, 2 Cilantro roots, 4 cloves garlic, ½ onion, ½ teaspoon white peppercorns, 2 slices ginger, 3 -inch section daikon
• Meanwhile, trim excess fat from the chicken (lots around the neck flap and around the chicken cavity opening). Add these fat trimmings to a wok or the pot you will use to cook the rice. Set it aside for now.
• Once the stock is ready, season with 1 tablespoon of salt and fill the pot about ⅔ full with cold water. Add the chicken to the pot and add more water as needed to keep the chicken submerged.
  1 tablespoon fine grain salt
• On medium high heat, bring the temperature of the water up to 170°F (77°C). If you don't have a thermometer here's what to aim for: the water should have lots of steam coming off the top but is not simmering (no bubbling!).
• Once the temperature is reached, reduce the heat to medium-low, or whatever is needed to maintain the temperature there. Taste the broth and add more salt as needed until it tastes like a nice-but-mildly-salted soup.
• Cook until the chicken is done, flipping the chicken halfway through and keeping an eye on the heat to make sure the water is not simmering. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the breast, and 175°F at the thickest part of the thighs. This takes about 40-50 minutes, but timing varies depending on the size of the chicken. Note: Cooking time starts AFTER water temperature has reached 170°F. 
• When the chicken is done, use tongs to remove it from the stock and let cool. Make the rice and the sauces while the chicken cools.

For the Chicken Rice

• Wash the rice a few times until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
  2 cups jasmine rice
• Heat the collected chicken fat over medium heat until you've got about 2-3 tablespoon of rendered chicken fat. If for some reason you do not have enough rendered fat, you can supplement with vegetable oil. Remove the solids and discard.
• Add the garlic to the chicken fat and saute until the garlic is golden. Add the rinsed rice, turn the heat up to high and toss until it is heated through, 2-3 minutes. If the rice is in a wok, transfer it to the rice cooker or whatever pot you're using to cook the rice. Hold the rice here until the chicken is done cooking, if it isn't already.
  2 tablespoon chopped garlic, 2 ⅔ - 3 cups chicken broth
• Once the chicken is done, take 2 ⅔ cups of chicken cooking water and add it to the rice. Over medium high heat, stir the rice occasionally until water is bubbling and the fat is mixed into the liquid and no longer floats on top. Cover and cook on LOW heat until rice is done, about 15 minutes. (If using a rice cooker, you can just let it go until it's done.) Make the dipping sauces while the rice cooks.

For the Classic Dipping Sauce:

• Pound together the ginger and chilies into a rough paste. Then add fermented soybean paste, sugar, black soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in chopped cilantro if using.
  2 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 2 Thai chilies, 3 tablespoon Taojiew (Thai fermented soybean paste), 1 tablespoon sugar, 1-2 tablespoon black soy sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 sprigs cilantro

For the Hainanese Dipping Sauce:

• Pound together garlic, chilies, and cilantro stems into a rough paste. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in chopped cilantro leaves.
  3 red Thai chilies, 3 sprigs cilantro, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoon sugar, 4 cloves garlic

Assembly

• Taste the remaining broth and adjust seasoning as needed; we always serve a bowl of broth alongside the rice. You can add some chopped green onions or cilantro to the broth also if you wish. 
• Carve the chicken, debone the thighs and drumsticks, and slice them into thick slices. You can follow this video for instructions: How to carve a chicken.
• Serve the sliced meat over the rice, along with some sliced cucumber on the side, and a bowl of chicken broth as a palate cleanser. Don't forget the sauces! I like to use both sauces in combination.