Cantonese Claypot Rice (煲仔飯)
Dai Ga Si Faan recipe - Hong Kong
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup jasmine rice
- 3/4 cup hot water (1: 1 ratio with rice)
- 2 chicken thighs, deboned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and rehydrated
- 1/2 Chinese pork sausage
- 1/2 Chinese duck liver sausage
- 1 green onion, chopped (for garnish)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
- A drizzle of sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 20 g rock sugar (or 1 tbsp sugar)
- 1 green onion
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- 1
Soak the rice: Soak the rice for 1 hour to soften, which helps it cook faster. After soaking, strain the rice and set it aside.
- 2
Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine the chicken marinade ingredients: light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper powder, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes.
- 3
Make the sweet soy sauce: Sauté green onion, shallot, and coriander until golden and fragrant. Add water, light and dark soy sauce, sugar, and spices, then simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Set aside.
- 4
Prepare the claypot and cook the rice: Grease the claypot with a little oil to prevent sticking. Add the soaked rice to the pot along with an equal amount of water (1:1 ratio). Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the rice doesn’t stick.
- 5
Add the toppings: Once the rice has absorbed most of the water, evenly distribute the marinated chicken, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese pork sausage, duck liver sausage, and any other toppings. Make sure the toppings are spread evenly to allow for even cooking.
- 6
Cook the rice and toppings : Cover the pot with a lid. Drizzle a bit of oil around the edges of the pot, then cook on low heat for 12-15 minutes. After about 10 minutes, you should hear a sizzling sound—this means the fat and juices are dripping down to the bottom of the pot, creating that crispy rice layer.
- 7
Check the Meat: After 12-15 minutes, open the lid and check if the meat is fully cooked. If it’s done, proceed to the next step.
- 8
Final Round of Cooking: Cover the pot again, drizzle with a bit of oil, and increase the heat to medium. Rotate the pot on all four sides at an angle to scorch the bottom and sides of the claypot. Let it cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- 9
Rest the Rice: Turn off the heat and sprinkle chopped green onions over the dish. Cover the pot with the lid and let it sit for 2 minutes to allow the residual heat to meld all the flavours together.
- 10
Serve: Drizzle the homemade sweet soy sauce over the rice, and enjoy!