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How to cook Claypot rice

Claypot rice is a Singapore hawker favourite where rice is cooked in a clay pot with marinated chicken and Chinese sausage, so the grains soak up the savoury juices and form a crisp, golden crust at the bottom. It is finished with a sweet-salty dark soy sauce mixture, spring onion and a drizzle of oil.

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

• 400 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp finely sliced ginger, cut into thin matchsticks

For the rice and toppings

• 400 g (about 2 cups) jasmine rice
• 520 ml water (plus a little extra if needed)
• 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), sliced diagonally
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, stems removed, sliced
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil, plus 1 tbsp extra for the pot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch (about 200 g) choy sum, cut into 6 cm lengths
• 2 stalks spring onion, finely sliced
• to taste sliced red chilli or cut chilli padi (optional)

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp water

Steps

1. Marinate the chicken30 min
   In a bowl, combine the chicken with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, cornflour, sugar, white pepper and ginger. Mix well with your hands, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the mushrooms30 min
   Soak the dried shiitake in warm water until fully soft, about 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water, cut off the tough stems and slice the caps. Keep 2 tbsp of the soaking liquid to add to the sauce if you like.
3. Wash the rice5 min
   Rinse the rice in a bowl under cold water, swirling and draining 3 to 4 times, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well. Do not soak the rice, as this keeps the grains separate and helps the crust form.
4. Mix the sauce2 min
   Stir together the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
5. Start the rice in the claypot7 min
   Season the clay pot first if it is new, following the maker's instructions. Add the rice and 520 ml water to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered, about 5 to 6 minutes, until the water level drops to the same level as the rice and small steam holes appear on the surface.
6. Add the toppings2 min
   Quickly arrange the marinated chicken, sliced Chinese sausage and mushrooms over the rice in a single layer. Cover the pot with its lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
7. Steam the rice18 min
   Cook, covered, on the lowest heat for 15 to 18 minutes without lifting the lid more than once. You should hear faint crackling toward the end and smell a toasty aroma. Turn the pot a quarter turn every 5 minutes so it browns evenly.
8. Blanch the vegetables4 min
   While the rice cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and a few drops of oil. Blanch the choy sum for 1 to 2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then drain well.
9. Check the chicken and rest5 min
   Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 minutes. Lift the lid and cut into the thickest piece of chicken to check it is white throughout with no pink and the juices run clear. If not, replace the lid and steam on low for another 3 minutes.
10. Make the crust3 min
    Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil around the inner edge of the pot. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, listening for a steady sizzle, to crisp the bottom layer of rice. Turn off the heat once the sizzling is strong and you smell toasted rice.
11. Add greens and sauce1 min
    Arrange the blanched choy sum on top and scatter the garlic and spring onion over. Pour the sauce evenly over the rice, then replace the lid for 1 minute so the flavours settle.
12. Serve
    Bring the pot to the table, stir everything together thoroughly so the sauce coats all the rice, and scrape up the crispy bits from the bottom. Serve hot with chilli on the side if desired.

Tips

• Do not lift the lid during the main steaming stage, as the trapped steam is what cooks the rice and chicken evenly.
• Use chicken thigh rather than breast, as it stays tender and juicy during the long cook.
• Use a 3 to 4 litre claypot with a well-fitting lid. A small pot may boil over; reduce the heat slightly if it does.
• If the rice is still firm after the rest, add 2 to 3 tbsp hot water around the edge, cover and steam on low for 5 more minutes.
• Alternative: if you do not have a clay pot, use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight lid, and the crust will form just the same.

Food safety and allergens

Make sure the chicken is cooked through with no pink and the juices run clear before serving, and keep marinating chicken refrigerated until you cook it. Cool leftovers within 1 hour, refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 1 day, reheating until steaming hot all the way through.

Contains: sesame, shellfish, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

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• "Claypot" Rice Made In 30 Minutes With A Rice Cooker Recipe - 电饭锅煲仔饭The Meatmen Channel · 1,101,164 views · YouTube

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