Claypot rice

Based on the SoupedUpRecipes version of claypot rice (uses beef) which uses her claypot that I bought, I changed the ingredients I have available. I also adapted the method from the definitive Cantonese chef's version by MadewithLau (uses chicken). 

Ingredients

250g raw meat, thinly sliced

2 lap cheong, sliced

½ tsp salt

⅓ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp chinese cooking wine

dash of white pepper

1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp cooking oil for fragrant oil or replace with sesame seed oil

1.5 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp white part of scallion

2 tbsp minced ginger

1 bunch baby bok choy or suitable green leafy veg

3 dried shitake mushroom, rehydrated and sliced (Optionals include rehydrated lily bulb and black fungus. Bear in mind however that you don't want to stack anything but lay out all the ingredients flat, so reduce the proportions accordingly)

360g white long grain rice with 1.5C water (including mushroom soaking water) - I used 2 rice cups of rice and 2.5C liquid (water + mushroom water)

Seasoning sauce

1.5 tbsp soy sauce

1.5 tbsp oyster sauce

½ tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

¼C water

Method

1. (Optional) Prepare the fragrant oil because the raw meat will be steamed above the rice so there is no milliard reaction. Scald aromatics in oil. Leave aside to cool and discard the used aromatics. Once cooled, add it to the marinade for the meat.

2. Marinate the meat (Optional: add the optional cooled fragrant oil.) Can also add sesame seed oil. Marinate the mushroom slices in any leftover marinade too.

3. Wash and soak the white rice for 15 minutes. (For brown rice, soak 8h). Discard the soaking water.

4. Cook the seasoning sauce and set aside.

5. Coat the claypot with lard. Put in the soaked rice and add in 1 tsp of oil/lard. If not using aromatic oil, briefly stir fry the thin sliced ginger and the rice in the oil. Fill with boiling water. Cook on med high heat for 10 to 12 mins until nearly all the water has evaporated. Resist the urge to keep opening the cover, you will see the edges under the lid stop bubbling. You can remove the lid and poke holes in the rice (see the videos) to allow the steam to rise)

6. While waiting for the rice to cook, wash and scald the veg.

7. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Lay the raw marinated meat slices and lap cheong onto the rice, taking your time. Try to spread out and don't pile so ingredients can cook evenly.

8. Replace the lid the drizzle sesame oil around the rims of the lid. This will drip down the side.

9. Turn back on to medium heat and cook for 5 more minutes to cook the ingredients. 

10. Once you heard the sizzling sounds, turn heat up to medium. Use oven mitts to rotate the pot (including the sides) every 20 seconds so that the base is evenly heated for the scorched crispy base. Do this for another 2 to 3 mins.

11. You can drizzle more sesame oil down the side or even lard and continue to scorch but keep a nose out for burning.

12. Turn off the flame. If using a raw egg, crack an egg in the centre and cover for another 2 minutes. Done! Add blanched baby bok choy on top and garnish with scallions. Drizzle on the seasoning sauce and mix at the table.

Different method by Habibi who really likes lard.

- Use Thai medium grain rice which is less sticky and each grain is distinct. 

- Same volume to water to rice.

- Add lard to rice and water.

- Prepare the cured meats. Do not cut up the lapcheong into small pieces as you want the oil to burst in your mouth. Either leave whole and then chop up when serving, or cut into 3 batons for easier cooking because. Use duck or goose liver and also cured 3 layer pork (la rou) in addition to lap cheong.

- Marinade cured meats in marinade soya sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame seed oil.

- When water has almost evaporated (around 7 to 10 mins), use chopstick to poke holes in the rice. Add the meat.

- Sauce: light and dark soya sauces, pepper, oyster sauce, sugar, shallot oil, garlic oil.

- Once rice is done, turn down heat to low. To check if rice is crispy, poke the chopstick on the side of the pot. If it goes through easily, the rice isn't crispy enough.

- Add more lard around the edges of the pot. To crisp up the edges, put the pot at the corner of the stove and rotate it every minute. Try again with the chopstick test. To serve the meat, use a scissors to cut up