Claypot (-like) Chicken Rice

Claypot Chicken Rice

I have started my morning angry. Because that idiotic son of mine has once again forgotten his pencil box - just minutes after I've reminded him not to forget it. Did he do it on purpose? There's his USB key in it and he has his homework saved inside.

Then the cleaning lady came and I gave her her 48th birthday present. She has told me before that she loved leather (so do I). I got her a lovely full-length leather jacket from Germany a few months back that I've had to hide (she goes through my things freely). It's a little too small as I had been a little too optimistic about her size, but otherwise it looked great on her. Long leather jackets always look better on those blond Slavic types that were born to the cold. She was really excited about it and started kissing me and phoning her partner to tell him about it etc. I told her to calm down and concentrate on the spider webs and dust. It has set me back a few hundred euros, but at least I've made somebody's day.

To finish her birthday treat, I made her Claypot Chicken Rice for lunch. Without the claypot. Because I haven't had the time to soak my new claypot (mom gave it to me) with rice water first. And I didn't have the heart to dig through my things to find the small old one. If I still have it, that is.

But I managed to get the crispy, slightly burnt rice at the bottom. By combining stir-frying and steaming methods. Anyway, without a charcoal stove, the claypot loses its allure.

Claypot Chicken Rice (for 2 persons) :

200g Chicken filet (sliced) or skinless chicken upper thighs (chopped into large pieces)

2 Tsp Light soy sauce

2 Tsp Dark Soy sauce

1 Tbsp Oyster sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1 Tsp concentrated Tomato paste

2 Tsp minced Ginger

1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 Tsp ground 5-spice

1 Tsp Cornstarch

Half an onion (sliced)

1 Garlic clove (minced)

1 Chinese sausage (sliced)

Small piece of Salted Fish

1 cup cooked Jasmine rice

1 cup cooked Chicken rice (or use another cup of white rice with some chicken stock)

2 Eggs

Dark soy sauce and Pepper to taste

Scallions and coriander leaves (optional)

Marinate the chicken pieces overnight with the sauces, wine, ginger, sesame oil, tomato paste, sugar, 5-spice powder and cornstarch.

I had leftover white rice and chicken rice and so combined them for this dish. Didn't use Chinese mushrooms as I've run out of them.

Used a large frying pan. Heated up a little peanut oil to fry the onion and garlic, at the same time I also fried the marinated chicken pieces, salted fish and the chinese sausage.

Add the rice and mix well with the ingredients. Pour the leftover marinade (if necessary add some hot water to clean out the bowl) onto the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes.

Break the eggs onto the rice, dribble dark soy sauce and pepper over the rice, cover the frying pan and let the eggs cook in the steam. At the same time, the rice will start to burn a little at the bottom. When the eggs are cooked, turn off the heat, serve hot.