Glazed chicken rice

Put the whole chicken in a big pot with unpeeled ginger, a few sticks of lemongrass and about twice the usual salt; cover with water.

Put a probe thermometer in the deepest part of the breast, lid the pot and heat on high until it is barely bubbling, then lower the heat to hold it there.

Thinly slice the cucumbers and shallot, cover with a whole bottle of rice vinegar, stir in a big handful of sugar and refrigerate to pickle while the chicken cooks, about an hour.

Poach until the breast reads 150F (65C) and hold there at least 10 minutes to pasteurize.

Remove the chicken to cool; bring the broth to a full boil to reduce. No ice-water plunge.

Break the chicken into bone-in portions: dislocate and cut off the leg-thigh quarters, separate legs and thighs, take off the wings, cut away the backbone through the ribs, split the breast through the breastbone and halve each side.

Add the backbone to the reducing broth.

Reduce the broth to about 3 cups and strain. Everything can be refrigerated at this point.

Half an hour before eating, wash 2 cups long grain rice, rinsing and pouring off a few times to remove the free starch.

Finely chop garlic and ginger and cook in toasted sesame oil until just starting to go golden; add the rice and toast dry about a minute.

Add the broth, stir, cover and bring to a boil, then turn to low and let steam until done.

Pour the pickle juice into a pan, keeping the onions out; add soy sauce at about 1 part to 2 parts pickle juice; boil and reduce until bubbles stack, a syrup that thickens as it cools. Taste and adjust.

Put the chicken skin-side up on a sheet pan with a good splash of oil, coating the pan and pieces; broil a few minutes until the skin is crispy.

Toss the chicken pieces straight into the glaze.

Serve on the rice with a big handful of drained pickles and spoon any excess glaze over.