Rinse the chicken thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat cooking oil (2 tbsp) over medium heat. Add ginger slices (for chicken), knotted scallions, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan peppercorns (if using). Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Pour in water (500ml), light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and add rock sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring until the rock sugar dissolves.
Carefully place the whole chicken into the simmering braising liquid. Ensure the chicken is mostly submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, flipping the chicken every 15 minutes.
While the chicken is simmering, prepare the rice. Wash jasmine rice until the water runs clear. Drain well.
In a separate pot for rice, heat cooking oil (1 tbsp) over medium heat. Add ginger slices (for rice) and chopped scallion whites. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the washed jasmine rice to the pot with aromatics. Stir-fry for a minute to coat the rice grains with oil.
Pour in chicken broth (or water) for the rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Let it rest for 10 minutes after cooking.
Once the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove it from the pot and let it rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes before chopping. This helps retain the juices.
While the chicken rests, bring the remaining braising liquid in the pot to a boil and reduce it slightly until it thickens into a sauce consistency.
Chop the rested chicken into serving pieces. Serve immediately with the fragrant rice and generously drizzle with the reduced soy sauce. Garnish with fresh scallions if desired.
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