Claypot Rice (Chicken)

Cooking claypot rice in an actual claypot takes a whole lot of skill, which I don't possess, so here's a rice cooker recipe for one of my favourite comfort foods! It's a great recipe for parties because it can be kept warm in the rice cooker, and I don't know anyone who doesn't love claypot rice!

ingredients.

Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time 1h + soaking time 8h
Cooking time: 40 minutes (depends on how quickly your rice cooker cooks)
Servings: 4-5

  1. Chicken x 400g, cubed

  2. Marinade:

    • Oyster sauce x 1 tsp

    • Shaoxing wine x 1 tsp

    • Dark soy sauce x 1 tsp

    • Light soy sauce x 1 tsp

    • Sesame oil x 1 tsp

    • Maple syrup x 1 tsp

  3. Sesame oil x 1.5 tbsp

  4. Garlic x 1.5 tbsp

  5. Ginger x a few slices

  6. Lup cheong (Chinese sausage) x 1, sliced

    • I use a chicken one because its fat content and calorie count are significantly lower!

  7. Dried mushroom x 6, rehydrated, sliced

  8. Dried chilli x 5 pc, cut into 1-inch pieces

    • This produces a mildly spicy flavour. Double or triple it if you want your claypot rice really spicy.

  9. Rice x 320ml

  10. Oyster sauce x 1 tbsp

  11. Dark soy sauce x ⅔ tbsp

  12. Maple syrup x 1 tsp

  13. Pandan leaf x 2

    • Optional, but I find it makes the dish more fragrant.

  14. Pepper x a few shakes

  15. Spring onions for garnish

  16. Bokchoy x 750g, base cut off.

  17. Corn flour x 1.5 tsp

  18. Water

how to cook.

  1. Soak mushrooms in boiling water at least 7-8h before you start cooking. Throw away the first water after 1-2 hours, then soak again in boiling water.

  2. Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour in marinade ingredients.

  3. Heat 1.5 tbsp sesame oil in a wok. Saute garlic until just turning brown, then add ginger. Saute until fragrant.

  4. Add sliced lupcheong, rehydrated mushroom slices, dried chilli and marinated chicken cubes.

  5. Add 100ml of water, oyster sauce 1 tbsp, dark soy sauce x ⅔ tbsp, maple syrup x 1 tsp and stir-fry until chicken is fully cooked.

  6. Add 1.5 tsp of corn starch in a slurry and stir immediately to thicken the sauce.

  7. Wash rice. Put in rice cooker with the requisite amount of water (mine is 1:1). Use the mushroom water from the 2nd soak as part of the water used to cook the rice.

  8. Put the stir-fry ingredients into the rice cooker on top of the rice, including all the sauce. Add the pandan leaves.

  9. Close the rice cooker and set it to cook rice as per normal.

  10. Add 1.8l of water to a pot, add 1¼ tsp of pink salt and drizzle sesame oil over the top.

  11. When water is boiling, blanch the bokchoy, then set aside.

  12. Once the rice is cooked, fluff the rice and mix well.

  13. Mix together 1 tbsp dark soy sauce and ½ tbsp maple syrup.

  14. Taste the rice. Add this dark soy and maple mixture to the rice to taste (I usually add 2 tsp).

  15. Leave some for people to drizzle over the rice and blanched bokchoy themselves.

  16. Put the desired amount of bokchoy and serve.

Recipe by Chops.