Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Hong Kong Claypot Rice with Cured Meats
臘味煲仔飯
Recipe overview
Rice absorbs the savoury aroma of Chinese sausage and cured pork belly while a golden crust forms underneath in this Hong Kong classic.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 300 g jasmine rice
- 360 ml water
- 2 Chinese sausages
- 120 g Chinese cured pork belly
- 200 g choy sum
- 2 spring onions
Sauce seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp warm water
Cooking oil
- 1 tsp cooking oil (for coating the pot and forming the crust)
02
Tools
- 2-litre lidded claypot
- measuring cup
- large bowl
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- small bowl
- small saucepan
- rice paddle
03
Steps
Step 1
Wash and soak the rice
Rinse the rice until the water is nearly clear, soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Step 2
Prepare the cured meats
Rinse the sausages and cured pork belly with warm water and dry; cut the pork into 1 cm slices.
Step 3
Prepare the greens
Wash and trim the choy sum, then slice the spring onions and keep them separate.
Step 4
Mix the soy sauce
Combine all sauce seasoning in a small saucepan and warm gently until the sugar dissolves without boiling.
Step 5
Heat the claypot
Lightly coat the claypot with oil, add the drained rice and 360 ml water, then heat on medium until bubbling strongly.
Step 6
Cook on low
Stir once to prevent sticking, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 8 minutes until most surface water is absorbed.
Step 7
Add the cured meats
Lay the sausages and cured pork belly evenly over the half-cooked rice and cover immediately.
Step 8
Cook through
Cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, turn off the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes; the meats must be piping hot with no cool raw-looking centre.
Step 9
Blanch the choy sum
While the rice rests, blanch the choy sum in boiling water for 2 minutes until bright green and tender, then drain.
Step 10
Slice and arrange
Remove the hot sausages, slice diagonally and return them to the rice with the pork and choy sum.
Step 11
Form the rice crust
Drizzle the remaining oil around the inner edge, cover and cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes until gently sizzling and fragrant; stop before it smells burnt.
Step 12
Sauce and mix
Scatter over the spring onions, pour in the soy sauce mixture and fold everything through the rice from the bottom before serving hot.
Common mistakes
- Adding the measured water before draining the soaked rice.
- Turning the heat down before the pot bubbles strongly.
- Slicing the cured meats before they are heated through.
- Using high heat too long for the crust and burning the rice.
Tips
Claypots and burners transfer heat differently. For the crust, use the gentle sizzling sound and toasted rice aroma as guides; check after 2 minutes the first time.
