Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Sausage

Ingredients

• 300g jasmine rice
• 400ml water
• 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)
• 1 piece Chinese preserved pork belly (lap yuk), optional, about 60g
• 300g boneless chicken thigh
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 200g choy sum or gai lan
• 3 tbsp groundnut oil
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce, for the sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water, for the sauce
• 2 eggs, optional

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice in cold water three times, swirling with your fingers until the water runs almost clear, then drain it well.
• Tip the drained rice into a 20cm clay pot or a heavy lidded casserole and pour over the 400ml of water.
• Leave the rice to soak for 20 minutes.
• Slice the chicken thigh into 1cm strips and toss with the light soy, cornflour, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, ginger and white pepper.
• Cut the Chinese sausages and preserved pork on a sharp diagonal into thin slices.
• Trim the choy sum and cut it into finger lengths.
• Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.

Steps

1. Set the clay pot of soaked rice over a medium flame and bring it to the boil uncovered.
2. Cover the pot, drop the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and craters appear across the surface.
3. Lift the lid and lay the chicken strips over the rice in a single layer.
4. Arrange the sausage and preserved pork slices over and around the chicken.
5. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the groundnut oil around the inside rim of the pot so it runs down the sides.
6. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes.
7. Bring a separate pan of salted water to the boil, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and blanch the choy sum for 90 seconds, then drain it.
8. Crack the eggs onto the rice if you are using them, cover, and cook for a final 4 minutes.
9. Turn the heat up to medium for 90 seconds and listen for a steady crackle, which tells you the crust is forming underneath.
10. Take the pot off the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.
11. Lay the blanched greens on top and pour the sauce over everything.
12. Bring the pot to the table, lift the lid there, and stir hard from the bottom so the scorched crust breaks up through the rice.