Clay pot rice, or 煲仔饭 (bo zai fan), is the ultimate comfort food. It’s fluffy jasmine rice layered with juicy, savoury chicken wings and sweet Chinese sausage, all cooked together until the bottom develops that irresistible crispy, golden crust, then topped with a glossy, savoury sauce. It’s cosy, comforting and addictive - the one-pot meal you need in your life!
ingredients
for the chicken & rice
- 5 chicken wings
- ½ inch ginger, finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 spring onions, finely minced, whites and greens separated
- 130g jasmine rice
- 130–135ml water
- 1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), skin removed and chopped
- 1 egg
- Fresh coriander, to garnish
for the chicken marinade
- ½ tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp white pepper
for the sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1½ tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp scallion oil or sesame oil
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
method
1: marinate the chicken
Add the chicken wings to a bowl along with the light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and white pepper.
Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated and leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
2: prepare the rice
Rinse the jasmine rice 2–3 times, or until the water runs mostly clear.
Cover with water and soak for 20 minutes.
While the rice is soaking, remove the skin from the lap cheong by soaking it briefly in hot water, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
3: sear the chicken
Place your clay pot over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil.
Add the marinated chicken wings and sear for 1–2 minutes on each side, just until they develop some colour.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
Alternatively: you can skip this step and add the marinated chicken directly over the rice later.
4: fry the aromatics
Add a little more oil to the clay pot if needed.
Add the minced garlic, followed by the ginger and spring onion whites.
Fry for a minute or two until fragrant.
5: add the rice
Drain the soaked rice well, then add it to the pot.
Stir-fry the rice with the aromatics for 1–2 minutes, making sure everything is well combined.
6: cook the rice
Pour in 130–135ml water and bring everything to a boil.
Once boiling, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to low.
Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
7: add the chicken & lap cheong
Remove the lid and arrange the seared chicken wings and chopped lap cheong over the rice.
Cover again and continue cooking for another 10–15 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Cooking time will vary depending on the size and whether you're using boneless or bone-in chicken.
8: crisp up the bottom
Once the rice and chicken are cooked, drizzle a little oil around the edges of the clay pot.
Turn the heat up to medium and cook for another 2–3 minutes to develop that delicious crispy rice crust at the bottom.
9: add the egg & sauce
Turn off the heat.
Top with greens of spring onion then crack an egg directly over the rice.
Pour the prepared sauce evenly over everything.
Cover with the lid and leave for approximately 3 minutes, allowing the residual heat from the pot to cook the egg.
10: garnish & serve
Finish with fresh coriander.
Mix everything together, making sure to scoop up that crispy rice from the bottom, then serve immediately and enjoy!
