Clay Pot Chicken rice

February 21, 2020

Chicken clay pot

makes enough for 4 servings

Ingredients

For the rice

1 cup rice

1 ⅔ cups chicken broth

2 links of Chinese sausage (lap xeong), slice diagonally

For the chicken

1 pound chicken thigh, skin on, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 thumb size ginger, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp sugar

Cooking oil

For the mushroom

½ cup dried wood ear

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

For the spinach

3 cups spinach

A pinch of salt

Cooking oil

Garnishment

1 stalk of green onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

Prepare the rice

Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Soak the rice in chicken broth, in the clay pot, for 1 hour.

Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ginger, oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine and sugar.
Mix well, cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Prepare the spinach

Cook the spinach with 1 tsp cooking oil for 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Set aside.

Prepare the mushroom

Soak the wood ear mushroom in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Drain, pat dry and slice thinly.
Cook the mushroom with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp salt

Prepare the rice

Place the clay pot over medium heat.
Cook the rice with the lid on for 5 minutes or until it comes to a boil.
When the rice has come to a boil, add the Chinese sausage (lap xeong) and reduce to a simmer (lowest heat) for 30 minutes.

Prepare the chicken

In a pan over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp cooking oil. Wait a few minutes for the oil to becomes hot then add the marinated chicken.
Stir continuously for 5 minutes.
Cover and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Once cooked through, turn off the heat and set aside.

Finish the rice

Once the rice has simmered for 30 minutes, add the cooked chicken, drizzle some of the chicken sauce over the rice and continue to cook on the lowest heat for another 15-20 mins.
This will allow the rice to develop its crispy bottom.

Serve

Remove the rice from the heat, garnish with green onion and enjoy!

Good to know

For optimal time management, prepare the dish in the order listed above.

Congee with Lap Cheong, Soft Boiled Egg and Mushroom

January 30, 2020

A week ago, my husband came down with the flu and I knew the epidemic that is the Man-Flu was about to befall us. So aside from the usual Vitamin C, elderberries, water and lots of sleep, I wanted to make him something nutritious, easy on his sore throat and comforting to eat. If there’s one thing this husband of mine craves most while being sick, it’s the feeling of comfort and being taken care of. I mean, don’t we all? Though I tease him a lot for it, I find it quite endearing.

Below is the recipe I came up with after rummaging through our pantry and gathering everything I deemed has healing components. He finished the whole pot in 2 sittings when I intended for it to last a few days. And yes, the Man-Flu is no more.

Congee with lap cheong, soft boiled egg and mushroom

makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

1 cup rice

5 cups chicken broth

6 cups water

¼ cup ginger, peeled and sliced lengthwise

½ cup dried lotus seeds

1 tbsp mushroom powder

1 link lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced diagonally

1 tbsp sesame oil

¼ cup dried wood ear mushroom

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp salt

4 jujubes (dried dates)

4 eggs

1 stalk of green onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

For the congee

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and soak in fresh water for 30 minutes.
Soak lotus seeds in boiling water for at least 2 hours. Drain and set aside.
In a pot over medium high heat, add the rice, chicken broth, water, ginger, lotus seeds and mushroom powder. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil for 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 60 minutes. Stir frequently.
If the congee becomes too thick or the water is evaporating too quickly while the rice has not fully cooked, add water (1 cup at a time) to the pot. Remember to stir the pot every 5 minutes or so to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
At the 60 minutes mark, add the jujubes and continue to cook covered for another 15 minutes.

For the garnish

Soak wood ear mushroom in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, slice lengthwise and set aside.
While the rice is cooking, add the Chinese sausage and 2 tbsp of water to a pan over medium heat. Cook until the sausage is becoming semi-translucent in color and the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate pan over medium heat, combine sesame oil with wood ear mushroom and cook for 2-4 minutes. Season with sesame seeds, salt, soy sauce and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
To soft boil the eggs, add enough water in a pot to submerge them all. Bring the water to a boil then add the eggs. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat, soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Peel and set aside.

To serve

Pour congee in a bowl, garnish with mushroom, Chinese sausage, half an egg and green onion.

Good to know

The congee base is simple: rice and water. The rest of the flavoring is up to you, add whatever you want and go from there. The only thing to be mindful of is that you need to stir it frequently as it has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan if left alone for an extended period of time.

The thickness of the congee also depends on your preference. Some like their congee thicker, others like it thinner. Adjust your cooking time and water accordingly. Stop cooking once the rice is fully cooked and the congee is at your preferred consistency.

Dried lotus seeds are tricky as some are older than others – which impacts the time required to soften them while cooking. If you are unsure, you can soak them overnight before cooking.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

August 26, 2019

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

makes enough for 2 people

Ingredients

1 lb chicken

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tbsp ginger (julienned)

1/4 cup dried wood ear mushroom

1 can watercress (diced)

1 cup carrot (shredded)

1/4 cup goji berries

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp sesame seeds

iceberg lettuce (leaves separated)

Preparation

Soak mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes or until fully bloomed.
Drain water and slice mushrooms in long thin strips. Set aside.
Add cooking oil to a pan over medium heat. Wait 2-3 minutes for the oil to be ready.
Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add ground chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes or until opaque in color.
Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar and sesame oil to chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add mushroom, watercress, carrot and goji berries. Cook until watercress is tender but still crunchy.
Feel free to adjust seasoning to your liking at this point.
Place chicken inside lettuce, sprinkle on some sesame seeds and enjoy!

Good to know

Nothing! It’s that easy.